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Over halfway through the season, The Bees find themselves in fantasy land.

With victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

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

Solely leaders Arsenal have accumulated more points over the past half-dozen matches.

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

No one was forecasting this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Tottenham after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also cemented them in the top flight.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

A year of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was forecast. But here we are in the new year with the club in the upper echelons.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was partly 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 Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury 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 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score with 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 shows the standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Given 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 shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1 percent.

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 worked as a bricklayer to provide for 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 kind of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

Andrews 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 – 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 manager 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 Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a gamble.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the leap from set-piece 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 brains trust at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

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

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

"We are in good form and playing really well. We are playing with courage and belief in everything we do with or without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy 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, Brentford are defying the odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to reality those dreams of the continent will become.