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

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

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

Solely leaders Arsenal have gathered more points over the past six games.

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

Few was envisioning this last off-season.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club promoted but also established them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of thirty-nine 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 season of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in the new year with the club in the upper echelons.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

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

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has set 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.

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

"He has been a revelation," pundit an analyst said. "He's a physical specimen, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics 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 volume but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance 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 the striker's 59.1%.

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

Considering the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

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

The Manager Proving Doubters Wrong

Their star striker is the man of the moment but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, 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 their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest 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 option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at the club, it looks as if they were correct.

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

Results that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove increasingly important in the pursuit for European qualification.

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

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

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