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Over halfway through the season, Brentford find themselves in fantasy land.

With four wins in five games, and a Brazilian striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

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

Solely table-toppers Arsenal have accumulated more points over the past six games.

There's a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the battle for continental football.

No one was predicting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had left 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 established them in the top flight.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

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

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to timing, with one forward's move not being finalized 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 Belgium in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

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

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

"He's been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, fast, strong, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers are incredible. 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 Europe's top five leagues to this point highlights the standard he is operating at.

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

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th opener 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 first big chance cannot be overstated.

Prior to 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%.

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

Given the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Sceptics Wrong

Their star striker is the headline act but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The fear 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 avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from set-piece coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss one candidate was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

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

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

Wins 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 conviction 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 a handful of points, they have little choice, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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