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More than the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford find themselves in fantasy land.

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

A comprehensive three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Solely table-toppers Arsenal have accumulated more points over the past six games.

There's a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the fight for continental football.

No one was envisioning this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Tottenham after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the elite division.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a total of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

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

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Campaign

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was partly down to circumstance, with one forward's move not going through until the final day of the window.

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

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his first campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has set 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 Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games left to play.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, strong, but technically better than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers are incredible. He must be so pleased. That's a big compliment to him."

That only a trio of global superstars 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 crucial nature of the goals that have been so important for his team.

His first goal against the opposition was his seventh first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

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

Considering the hardships he had in his youth, 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.

"The recruitment team 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 adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. 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 pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Sceptics Wrong

Igor Thiago is the headline act 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 stronger than the sum of their parts.

The fear 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.

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

A first managerial job 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 top job.

But given that Ipswich boss one candidate was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the right man.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers 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 significant home victories against Manchester United, Liverpool and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're 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 a handful of points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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