The Exceptional Brazilian Star and Defying all Odds – The Bees' European Charge

More than the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford find themselves in a dream scenario.

With four wins in their last five outings, and a Samba striker banging in the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A comprehensive three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into fifth in the top flight – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

Solely table-toppers the Gunners have gathered more points over the past six games.

There's a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the race for European football.

No one was envisioning this last off-season.

The former head coach had departed for Tottenham 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.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – 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 promoted to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

A season of difficulty, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in January with Brentford in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to circumstance, with Wissa's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

But they also knew 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 injury in his debut campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland 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 some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is 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 brimming with confidence. His statistics are fantastic. He must be so proud. That's a big compliment to him."

That only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have scored more in any of Europe's top five leagues to this point underscores the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the timing of the goals that have been so pivotal for his team.

His opener against the opposition was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely 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 Igor Thiago's 59.1 percent.

He hits 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 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 praise for the type of players they bring in and personalities," 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 earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Sceptics Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The concern was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of their parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A maiden role is a test 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 boss one candidate was the only other option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the right man.

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

The new boss won just a single of his first 5 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 increasingly important in the pursuit for European qualification.

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with or without the ball," he added. "We are happy 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 eight points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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