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

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

A emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last term.

Only table-toppers the Gunners have collected more points over the past six games.

There is a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are squarely in the fight for European football.

Few was envisioning 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 to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Andrews was promoted to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in January with the club in the upper echelons.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to timing, 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 waiting to go.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He's been a breath of fresh air," 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 incredible. He must be so proud. That's a big compliment to him."

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

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance 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 Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1 percent.

He hits the target. Do that often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to support his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Sceptics Incorrect

Their star striker is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

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 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 specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the right man.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at Brentford, it looks as if they were spot on.

The new boss won just a single of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and Newcastle have followed.

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

"We're in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with or without the ball," Andrews added. "We're happy with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

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