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Over halfway through the campaign, The Bees find themselves in dreamland.

With victories in five games, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters are envisioning thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A convincing three-nil win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a place that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Only leaders the Gunners have gathered more points over the past six games.

There is a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the battle for European football.

Few was forecasting this last off-season.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in January with the club in the top five.

So, how did they pull it off?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Campaign

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to circumstance, with one forward's move not being finalized until deadline day.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are incredible. He must be so proud. That's a huge compliment to him."

That only a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of the continent's major leagues to this point underscores the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

His opener against the opposition was his seventh opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

He hits the target. Do that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "It is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Doubters Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The concern was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from set-piece coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the right man.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

Andrews won just one of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have since occurred.

Results that, following their excellent recent form, could prove increasingly important in the pursuit for Europe.

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with or without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep improving."

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table are currently separated by just a handful of points, they have little choice, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

But, for now, The Bees are defying the predictions. And the longer that continues, the closer to reality those dreams of the continent will become.