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

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

A convincing 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

Only leaders Arsenal have collected more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There is a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the fight for European football.

Few was predicting this last off-season.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also established them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was promoted to replace the Dane, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

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

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was partly down to circumstance, with Wissa's move not going through until deadline day.

But they also were aware they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to sixteen league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, quick, strong, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. His statistics are fantastic. He must be so pleased. That's a huge 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 highlights the level he is operating at.

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

His first goal against the Black Cats was his seventh first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Prior to the game against their opponents, 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 in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising 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 characters," the manager said. "This is really notable. He is a really special person who has fitted into 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 skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Sceptics Incorrect

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

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The concern 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 stay up.

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

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

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

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

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.

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

"We are 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 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 a handful of points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

But, for now, Brentford are defying the odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those dreams of Europe will become.