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Over the midpoint of the season, Brentford find themselves in a dream scenario.

Following four wins in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A convincing three-nil win over the Black Cats moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Solely table-toppers Arsenal have gathered more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the battle for European football.

No one was envisioning this last off-season.

The former head coach had left 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 elite division.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

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

A year of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. But here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how did they pull it off?

Igor Thiago's Historic Campaign

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already waiting to go.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, powerful, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics are incredible. 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 highlights the level he is operating at.

And it is not just the quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so pivotal for Brentford.

His opener against the Black Cats was his seventh first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be overstated.

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

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

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to support his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"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 special person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Wrong

Their star striker is the man of the moment 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 their previous boss, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

The concern was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from set-piece coach to the top job.

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 5 league games in charge but big home victories against Manchester United, Liverpool and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

"We are in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery 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 striving."

In a league where fourth and 15th 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 predictions. And the longer that continues, the closer to reality those dreams of the continent will become.