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Over halfway through the campaign, The Bees find themselves in fantasy land.

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

A emphatic three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into fifth in the top flight – a place that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

Solely leaders the Gunners have gathered more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There is a long way to go yet but the West London outfit are squarely in the fight for continental football.

No one was forecasting this last off-season.

The former head coach had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint 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 their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a total of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was promoted to succeed Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A season of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in the new year with the club in the top five.

So, what is behind their success?

Igor Thiago's Historic Campaign

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not going through until deadline day.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

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

The 24-year-old has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

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

"He's been a revelation," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, quick, strong, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. His statistics are fantastic. He must be so pleased. That's a big compliment to him."

That only a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of Europe's top five leagues to this point shows the level he is playing at.

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

His opener against the Black Cats was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that first big chance cannot be overstated.

Before the game against Sunderland, 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 often enough and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," the manager 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 earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews 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 star players – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The concern was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss one candidate 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 five league games in charge but significant home victories against United, the Reds and Newcastle have since occurred.

Wins that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove increasingly important in the race for Europe.

"We are in good form and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are pleased with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

In a league where fourth and 15th 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 beating the predictions. And the longer that lasts, the closer to reality those dreams of the continent will become.