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More than the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford find themselves in a dream scenario.

Following victories in five games, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A convincing 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

Solely table-toppers the Gunners have collected more points over the past six games.

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

Few was forecasting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also cemented them in the top flight.

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

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

A year of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was forecast. But here we are in January with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how have they managed it?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Season

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 £30m striker already ready and waiting.

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues 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 brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have preceded him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games left to play.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, 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. His statistics 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 shows the standard he is operating 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 initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.

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

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 labored in construction 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.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to forge this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. 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."

Andrews Proving Sceptics Wrong

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

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

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

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was the only other option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the right man.

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

Andrews won just a single of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have followed.

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

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

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