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Over the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees are in dreamland.

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

A emphatic three-nil win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into fifth in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last season.

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

There is a long way to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the race for continental football.

Few was predicting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also established them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to succeed the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

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

So, how have they managed it?

Igor Thiago's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

But they also knew they had a £30m striker already waiting to go.

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace 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 come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's full of 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 the continent's major leagues to this point underscores the standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the opposition was his seventh opener of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance 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 the striker's 59.1 percent.

He finds the target. Achieve that often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships 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 no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "This is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

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 stay up.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from set-piece coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager one candidate was the only other alternative 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 Brentford, it looks as if they were vindicated.

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

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

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with courage 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 striving."

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table are currently separated by just eight points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very different.

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