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Over the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees find themselves in dreamland.

Following four wins in five games, and a Samba 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 Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last term.

Solely table-toppers the Gunners have accumulated more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There's a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the fight for continental 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 promoted but also cemented them in the top flight.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

A season of struggle, possibly even the drop, was forecast. Yet here we are in the new year with Brentford in the top five.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part 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.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first 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 English top-flight campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, fast, powerful, but more skilled 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 pleased. 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 highlights the level he is operating at.

And it is not just the quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His opener against the Black Cats was his seventh 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 first big chance cannot be underestimated.

Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1%.

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

Considering the struggles 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 no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews 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 toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the headline act but the team 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 more effective than the individual components.

The concern was that once the manager 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 no previous managerial experience, and just a year at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

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

So far, 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 five league games in charge but significant home victories against Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle have followed.

Wins that, following their brilliant recent run, could prove all the more important in the race for Europe.

"We're in fine fettle and playing really well. 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 fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have little choice, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

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