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

Following victories in five games, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are dreaming of thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A comprehensive three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was good enough to secure European football last term.

Only leaders Arsenal have accumulated more points over the past half-dozen matches.

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

No one was envisioning this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Tottenham after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

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

So, how have they managed it?

Igor Thiago's Historic Campaign

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

But they also were aware they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Considering the fellow Brazilians who have preceded him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He has been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He's physically intimidating, fast, strong, but technically better 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 huge 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 vital for his team.

His opener against the Black Cats 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 depend on to take that early opportunity cannot be overstated.

Before the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shot accuracy rate than the striker's 59.1%.

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

Given the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure 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. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving 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 star players – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The concern 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 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 outside the club as a gamble.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

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

So far, 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 one of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and Newcastle have since occurred.

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

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," he 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 eight points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

But, for now, The Bees are beating the predictions. And the longer that lasts, the closer to fruition those dreams of Europe will become.