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

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with 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 season.

Only table-toppers 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 race for continental football.

No one was forecasting this last off-season.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also established them in the elite division.

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

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A season of struggle, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. But here we are in January with Brentford in the top five.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

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

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

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then club 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 highest tally by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Excellent 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 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 highlights the standard he is operating at.

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

His opener against the opposition was his seventh opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance 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. Do that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Considering the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the death 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 credit for the type of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "This is really notable. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Sceptics Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the man of the moment but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

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 Brentford's 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 outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a test 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 Kieran McKenna was the only other option 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 brains trust at Brentford, it looks as if they were vindicated.

The new boss won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but significant home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and Newcastle have since occurred.

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

"We're in good form and playing really well. We are playing with bravery 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 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 odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those aspirations of Europe will become.