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Over halfway through the season, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker scoring 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 Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last term.

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

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the battle for European football.

Few was envisioning this last summer.

Thomas Frank had left for Tottenham 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 elite division.

Skipper 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 Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

A season of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was forecast. Yet here we are in January 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 in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not going through until deadline day.

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

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was hindered by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going goalless 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 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Given 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, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with 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 the continent's major leagues to this point underscores the standard he is operating at.

And it is not just the quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th 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 rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Before 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. Achieve that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the type of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. 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 improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving 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 Frank, 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 Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

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

A first managerial job is a test 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 boss one candidate was the only other option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced 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.

Andrews won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but significant home victories against United, the Reds and the Magpies have followed.

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

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're pleased with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

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 quickly look very different.

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