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

Following four wins in five games, and a Samba striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

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

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

Few was forecasting this last summer.

Thomas Frank had left for Spurs 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 elite division.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was elevated to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

A year of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not going through until the final day of the window.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single English top-flight campaign.

Given the countrymen who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers 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 playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His first goal against the opposition was his seventh opener 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 Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shot accuracy rate than the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Given the struggles he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the type 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 worked for his journey and toiled. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

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

While they had star players – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

The concern was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from set-piece coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were spot on.

The new boss won just a single of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against United, the Reds and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

"We're in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with courage and belief in everything we do with or without the ball," Andrews added. "We are pleased 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 quickly look very different.

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