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

With four wins in five games, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A convincing 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was good enough to secure European football last term.

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

There is a long way to go yet but Brentford are firmly in the fight for European football.

No one was forecasting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Tottenham after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was promoted to replace the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

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

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Campaign

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward'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.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the countrymen who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's full of confidence. His statistics are fantastic. 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 the continent's major leagues to this point highlights the level he is operating at.

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

His opener against the opposition was his seventh first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance 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 hits the target. Do that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Considering 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 takes in his stride.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "This is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics 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 Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of Brentford's 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 huge risk.

A maiden role is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from set-piece coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that Brentford 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.

Andrews won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against United, the Reds and Newcastle have followed.

Results that, following their excellent recent run, could prove increasingly important in the race for European qualification.

"We are in good form and playing really well. 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 striving."

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table are currently separated by just a handful of points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very different.

But, for now, The Bees are defying the predictions. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those aspirations of Europe will become.