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Over halfway through the campaign, Brentford find themselves in dreamland.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly Bees fans find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A comprehensive 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Only leaders Arsenal have collected more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There is a long way to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the battle for continental football.

No one was envisioning this last summer.

The former head coach had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

A season of struggle, possibly even the drop, was forecast. Yet here we are in January with Brentford in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

But they also were aware they had a £30 million striker already ready and waiting.

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was hindered by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Good with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics are fantastic. He must be so pleased. That's a big compliment to him."

That only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have scored more in any of the continent's major leagues to this point underscores the level he is operating at.

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so important for Brentford.

His opener against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shot accuracy rate than the striker's 59.1 percent.

He finds the target. Achieve that often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and characters," 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 earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

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

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The fear 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 stay up.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest 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 option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at Brentford, it looks as if they were vindicated.

Andrews won just a single of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against United, the Reds and Newcastle have followed.

Results that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove all the more important in the race for European qualification.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep striving."

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 rapidly look very different.

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