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Over the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford are in dreamland.

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

A comprehensive three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

Only table-toppers the Gunners have gathered 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.

No one was envisioning this last summer.

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 established them in the elite division.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

A year of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in the new year with the club in the top five.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was hindered by fitness issues in his first campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

Thiago has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil 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's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, fast, powerful, 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. His statistics are incredible. He must be so pleased. 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 underscores the standard he is operating at.

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

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the initial strike 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 30 shots this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1%.

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

Considering the hardships he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise 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," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very well. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Sceptics Incorrect

Their star striker is the headline act but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

The fear was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

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

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from set-piece coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager one candidate was the only other alternative that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly confident 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 correct.

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

Results that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove all the more important in the race for European qualification.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're happy 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 different.

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