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More than the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford are in fantasy land.

Following four wins 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 emphatic three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last term.

Solely leaders the Gunners have collected more points over the past six games.

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the fight for continental football.

No one was predicting this last summer.

The former head coach had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also cemented them in the top flight.

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 out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

A season of struggle, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in January with the club in the top five.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not being finalized 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 Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was hindered by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace 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 seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He's a physical specimen, fast, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's full of confidence. His statistics 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 shows the standard he is playing at.

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

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 importance 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 Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1%.

He hits the target. Do that often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships he had in his youth, where he labored in construction to provide for 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 characters," Andrews said. "This is really notable. He is a really unique 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 learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Sceptics Wrong

Their star striker is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – a host of talent – 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 their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those outside the club as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

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

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

The new boss won just one of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against United, Liverpool and Newcastle have since occurred.

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

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

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 different.

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