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More than halfway through the season, Brentford are in fantasy land.

Following victories in five games, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A convincing three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a place that was good enough to secure European football last term.

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

There is a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the battle for European football.

Few was envisioning this last off-season.

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

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

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

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

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to circumstance, with one forward's move not being finalized until deadline day.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already ready and waiting.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has set 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 Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent 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 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 underscores the level he is operating at.

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so important 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 importance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Prior to the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the type of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "It is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very well. He has had to forge 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 learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics Incorrect

Their star striker 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 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 their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, especially 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 boss Kieran McKenna was the only other option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the correct candidate.

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

Andrews won just one 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 belief in everything we do with or without the ball," he added. "We're 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 eight points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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