🔗 Share this article

More than the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees are in fantasy land.

Following victories in five games, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

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

Solely table-toppers the Gunners have accumulated 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.

No one was forecasting this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after seven years 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 goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace the Dane, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

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

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was partly down to timing, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

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

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

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

"He has been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, 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 a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of Europe's top five leagues to this point shows the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so important for his team.

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that first big chance cannot be overstated.

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

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

Given the hardships 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 unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "This is really notable. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under Frank, 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 collective quality of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

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

A maiden role is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier 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.

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

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

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

"We are in good form and playing really good. 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 striving."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just a handful of points, they have little choice, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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