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Over halfway through the season, The Bees find themselves in dreamland.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A convincing three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

Only table-toppers the Gunners have collected more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There is a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the race for European football.

No one was envisioning this last summer.

Thomas Frank 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 established them in the top flight.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

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

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

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Campaign

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

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

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago 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 a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, fast, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers are fantastic. He must be so pleased. 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 underscores the level he is operating at.

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

His opener against the opposition was his seventh opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance of the initial strike 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 percent.

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

Given the struggles he had in his youth, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "This is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very nicely. 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 improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Doubters Wrong

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

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 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 avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers 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 manager's office.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the right man.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at Brentford, it looks as if they were correct.

Andrews won just one of his first five league games in charge but big 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 Europe.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are pleased with how we are going but we want to keep improving."

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table are currently separated by just eight points, they have little choice, because things could rapidly look very different.

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