A Exceptional Brazilian Star and Contradicting the Expectations – Brentford's European Push

More than the midpoint of the season, The Bees find themselves in fantasy land.

With four wins in five games, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into fifth in the top flight – a position that was sufficient to secure European football last season.

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

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

Few was envisioning this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also established them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder 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 United and Newcastle respectively.

Specialist coach Andrews was elevated to succeed Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A year of difficulty, possibly even the drop, 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

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not going through 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 plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

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 English top-flight campaign.

Considering the countrymen who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He's a physical specimen, quick, strong, but technically better 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 huge 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 quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for his team.

His first goal against the Black Cats was his seventh 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 depend on to take that first big chance cannot be overstated.

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

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

Considering the hardships he had earlier in life, where he labored in construction to support 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.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the type of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "This is really notable. 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 toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Wrong

Their star striker is the headline act 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 Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The fear was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

Consequently, appointing Andrews, 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, 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 alternative 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 the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

The new boss won just a single of his first five 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 pursuit for Europe.

"We're in good form and playing really good. We are playing with courage 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 fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have little choice, because things could rapidly look very different.

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