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More than halfway through the campaign, The Bees are in fantasy land.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

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

There's a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are squarely in the battle for continental football.

No one was forecasting this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Tottenham after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also established them in the top flight.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal 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 United respectively.

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

A year of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in the new year with Brentford in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not being finalized until deadline day.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

Thiago has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Good 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 big 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 level he is operating at.

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

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.

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

He finds the target. Achieve 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 passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the kind of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "It is really notable. He is a really unique person who has fitted into 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 skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Doubters Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had star players – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The fear 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 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 option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

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

The new boss won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but significant home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

"We're in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are pleased 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 little choice, because things could rapidly look very different.

But, for now, Brentford are beating the odds. And the longer that lasts, the closer to fruition those aspirations of Europe will become.