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More than halfway through the season, The Bees find themselves in a dream scenario.

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

A comprehensive three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last season.

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

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

No one was envisioning 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 got the club promoted but also established them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, 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 struggle, possibly even the drop, was forecast. But here we are in the new year with Brentford in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Campaign

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward's move not going through until the final day of the window.

But they also were aware they had a £30 million striker already ready and waiting.

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

Thiago has set 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 player from Brazil in a single English top-flight campaign.

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

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are incredible. 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 Europe's top five leagues to this point underscores the standard 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 Black Cats was his 7th opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that early opportunity cannot be overstated.

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

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

Considering the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his abilities 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 the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team more effective 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 Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, 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 leap from specialist coach to the manager's office.

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

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

The new boss won just one of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and Newcastle have followed.

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

"We're in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with or without the ball," he added. "We are happy 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 no other option, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

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