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Over the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees are in fantasy land.

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

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

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

There's a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the fight for continental football.

No one was forecasting this last summer.

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 cemented them in the top flight.

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

Set-piece coach Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

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

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was partly down to circumstance, with Wissa's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

Considering the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent 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 pleased. That's a huge 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 volume but the timing of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that first big chance 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.

Given the hardships 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 no surprise that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the type of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "This is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Sceptics Incorrect

Their star striker is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger 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 stay up.

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a challenge 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 Kieran McKenna was the only other option 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 correct.

Andrews won just one of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and the Magpies have followed.

Results that, following their excellent recent run, could prove increasingly important in the race for European qualification.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are pleased 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 quickly look very otherwise.

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