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

With four wins in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A convincing three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last season.

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

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

Few was forecasting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint 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.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking 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 Keith Andrews was promoted to replace Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

A season of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was forecast. Yet here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

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

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already waiting to go.

The 24-year-old joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his first campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He has been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's a physical specimen, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers 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 Europe's top five leagues to this point underscores the standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal 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 early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

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

He finds the target. Achieve that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Considering the hardships 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 pressure 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. "It is really notable. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned 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 all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Wrong

Igor Thiago 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 sum of their parts.

The fear was that once the manager 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 a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from specialist 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 confident they had the right man.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

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

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

"We're in good form and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We're happy 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 little choice, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

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