Brentford‘s decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to circumstance, with Wissa’s move not going through until deadline day.
But they also knew they had a £30m striker already waiting to go.
Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then club record fee, but was plagued by injury in his debut campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.
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 Brazilian 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 breath of fresh air,” former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said on BBC Match of the Day.
“He’s physically intimidating, quick, strong, but technically better than people think. Good 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 big 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 shows the level he is playing at.
And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so important for Brentford.
His first goal against the Black Cats was his seventh opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.
Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago’s 59.1%.
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 support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.
“The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and personalities,” Andrews told Match of the Day.
“It 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 skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward.”
