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Over halfway through the season, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

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

A comprehensive three-nil win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into fifth in the top flight – a place that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

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

There's a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the fight for continental football.

Few was envisioning this last summer.

Thomas Frank had left for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club promoted but also cemented them in the elite division.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A year of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was forecast. Yet here we are in January with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how did they pull it off?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking 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 the final day of the window.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the most 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 17 games left to play.

"He's been a revelation," pundit an analyst said. "He's a physical specimen, fast, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics are incredible. He must be so proud. That's a big compliment to him."

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

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for his team.

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

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

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

Considering the hardships he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations 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," the manager said. "It is really notable. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. 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 developing his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the man of the moment but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The fear was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of their 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 external observers as a huge risk.

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

But given that Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was the only other option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were spot on.

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

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

"We are in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are pleased with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just a handful of points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very different.

But, for now, The Bees are defying the odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those aspirations of the continent will become.