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Over halfway through the campaign, Brentford find themselves in dreamland.

With victories in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last term.

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

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the battle for continental football.

Few was envisioning 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 promoted but also established them in the elite division.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was forecast. But here we are in the new year with Brentford in the top five.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

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

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already ready and waiting.

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single English top-flight campaign.

Considering the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, quick, strong, but technically better 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 fantastic. He must be so proud. 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 highlights the standard he is playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His first goal against the Black Cats 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 early opportunity cannot be overstated.

Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

He finds the target. Do that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Considering the hardships he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "It is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has fitted into life very well. 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 abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics Wrong

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

While they had star players – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the sum of their parts.

The fear 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.

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were spot on.

The new boss won just a single of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have followed.

Results that, following their brilliant recent run, could prove increasingly important in the race for Europe.

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep striving."

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

But, for now, Brentford are defying the odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those aspirations of the continent will become.