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More than halfway through the campaign, The Bees find themselves in fantasy land.

Following victories in five games, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A comprehensive 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last term.

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

There's a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the fight for continental football.

Few was predicting this last summer.

The former head coach had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint 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 Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

A season of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was forecast. But here we are in January with Brentford in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Historic Campaign

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 knew they had a £30 million striker already waiting to go.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was hindered by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Considering the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is physically intimidating, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are fantastic. He must be so proud. 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 shows the level he is operating at.

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

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Given 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 underestimated.

Before the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Considering the struggles he had in his youth, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very well. He has had to earn 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 Showing Doubters Incorrect

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

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

The concern was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of their parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

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

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from set-piece 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 confident they had the correct candidate.

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

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

Results that, following their excellent recent form, could prove all the more important in the race for European qualification.

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and belief 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 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, Brentford are beating the predictions. And the longer that lasts, the closer to fruition those aspirations of Europe will become.