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More than halfway through the campaign, Brentford are in fantasy land.

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

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure Champions League football last season.

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

There's a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the fight for continental football.

No one was forecasting this last off-season.

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

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

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

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to circumstance, with Wissa's move not being finalized until deadline day.

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

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then-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 most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games left to play.

"He has been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Good 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 pleased. That's a huge compliment to him."

That only a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of Europe's top five leagues to this point shows the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so vital for his team.

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

Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts 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.

Given the struggles he had in his youth, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the death 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 kind of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very nicely. 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 abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Wrong

Their star striker 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 Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the sum of their parts.

The fear was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of their 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 first managerial job 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 top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident 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.

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

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

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with or without the ball," he added. "We're happy with how we are going but we want to keep improving."

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table 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 predictions. And the longer that lasts, the closer to reality those aspirations of the continent will become.