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Over the midpoint of the season, The Bees find themselves in a dream scenario.

Following four wins in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the Premier League – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

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

There's a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the fight for continental football.

Few was forecasting this last off-season.

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

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

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

So, how did they pull it off?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to timing, with Wissa's move not going through until the final day of the window.

But they also were aware 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 hindered by injury in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, fast, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics are fantastic. He must be so proud. 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 standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the Black Cats was his seventh 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 overstated.

Before the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shot accuracy rate than the striker's 59.1%.

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

Considering the hardships he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations 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. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team more effective than the sum of their parts.

The fear was that once the Dane 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 Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A first managerial job 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 top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager one candidate was the only other alternative that the hierarchy 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 spot on.

Andrews won just a single of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against United, the Reds and Newcastle have since occurred.

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

"We are in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep improving."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just a handful of points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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