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More than the midpoint of the season, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

With victories in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into fifth in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last term.

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

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

Few was envisioning this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Tottenham after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Andrews was promoted to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

But they also were aware they had a £30m striker already waiting to go.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, 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 big 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 standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the opposition 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 underestimated.

Before 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 percent.

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

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise 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 impressive. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. 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 Sceptics Wrong

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

The concern 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 no previous managerial experience, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a gamble.

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 set-piece 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 confident they had the right man.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at Brentford, it looks as if they were correct.

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

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

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

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, The Bees are beating the odds. And the longer that lasts, the closer to reality those aspirations of Europe will become.