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

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

A emphatic three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

Solely leaders Arsenal have gathered more points over the past six games.

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

No one was forecasting this last summer.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club to the Premier League but also established them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was promoted to replace Frank, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

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

So, how did they pull it off?

Igor Thiago'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 £30 million 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 goalless in his initial outings.

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

Considering the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are incredible. He must be so proud. 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 quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

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

Before 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. Achieve that often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given 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 pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit 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 serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Sceptics 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 Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The concern 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 stay up.

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, let alone 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 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 the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

The new boss won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have followed.

Results that, following their brilliant 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 and without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

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 rapidly look very otherwise.

But, for now, The Bees are beating the odds. And the longer that lasts, the closer to fruition those dreams of Europe will become.