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Over the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees find themselves in dreamland.

With four wins in five games, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic three-nil win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

Only leaders the Gunners have accumulated more points over the past six games.

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the fight for European football.

No one was predicting this last off-season.

The former head coach had departed 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.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was promoted to replace the Dane, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in January with the club in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago'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 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 debut campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers are fantastic. 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 level he is playing at.

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

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

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

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

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death 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 praise for the kind of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to forge this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics Wrong

Their star striker is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a one-man band.

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

The fear 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 stay up.

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, 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 test 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 Town manager one candidate was the only other alternative that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

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

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

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with courage and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We're 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 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.