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More than the midpoint of the season, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

Following four wins in five games, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the Premier League – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

Only table-toppers Arsenal have accumulated more points over the past six games.

There is a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the battle for continental football.

Few was envisioning this last off-season.

Thomas Frank 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 established them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was promoted to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

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

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

The club'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 £30m striker already chomping at the bit.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He's 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. These numbers are fantastic. 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 shows the standard he is operating at.

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

His opener against the opposition was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the initial strike 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 the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising 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 personalities," Andrews said. "It is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has fitted into life very well. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Sceptics Wrong

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

While they had star players – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the sum of their parts.

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

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 maiden role is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

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

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

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

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

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're 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 eight points, they have little choice, because things could rapidly look very different.

But, for now, Brentford are beating the predictions. And the longer that lasts, the closer to reality those aspirations of the continent will become.