Brentford moved within sight of the Premier League top four with a controlled 3-0 victory over Sunderland, driven by a ruthless brace from Igor Thiago and a first Brentford goal for Yehor Yarmoliuk, while
Caoimhin Kelleher’s penalty save protected a key advantage.
The result strengthened Keith Andrews’ surprise European push in 2025-26, as Brentford reached 33 points from 21 Premier League matches. That total kept Brentford firmly in the pack chasing continental qualification and highlighted how the squad adapted after several high-profile summer exits.
Many observers had predicted regression for Brentford following those departures, yet the campaign told a different story. Brentford’s 33-point haul, from a record of W10 D3 L8, matched Brentford’s joint-best tally at this stage of a Premier League season, level with the 2022-23 campaign.
Central to that form was Thiago, who reached 16 Premier League goals for 2025-26 with this double. Those strikes represented Thiago’s 15th and 16th league goals of the season, giving Thiago the highest single-season total by any Brazilian player in Premier League history.
Brentford started on the front foot, creating the clearer openings. Thiago first dragged a shot wide, but remained a constant threat. Fifteen minutes before half-time, Vitaly Janelt, fresh from two assists against Everton, slipped Thiago through and Thiago rounded Roefs before finishing calmly.
Brentford almost doubled the lead deep into first-half stoppage time when Keane Lewis-Potter’s free-kick brushed the top of the crossbar. After the restart, Sunderland responded with greater intensity and caused problems, suggesting momentum might swing away from Brentford.
Sunderland earned a route back on the hour when Brian Brobbey went down under a challenge from Kristoffer Ajer. Enzo Le Fee tried a Panenka from the spot, but Kelleher held firm, standing his ground to catch the chipped effort and preserve Brentford’s narrow advantage.
That miss proved crucial. Soon after, Thiago struck again, guiding a precise header into the bottom-right corner to place Brentford in control. With Sunderland stretched, Yarmoliuk powered in Brentford’s third goal on 73 minutes, ensuring a scoreline that reflected Brentford’s dominance.
Brentford’s performance was supported by the underlying numbers. Brentford produced 18 shots and an expected goals figure of 2.98, while Sunderland managed 11 efforts worth 1.63 xG. For Sunderland, this was the heaviest away defeat across England’s top four tiers since a 6-0 loss at Bolton Wanderers in League One in January 2022.
"Special, special timespic.twitter.com/Vu3Wu0s1btBrentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 7, 2026
Special, special timespic.twitter.com/Vu3Wu0s1btBrentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 7, 2026
Brentford finished the night one point off the Premier League top four and level with Brentford’s best historical start, with Thiago in record-breaking form, Kelleher decisive from the spot, and Andrews overseeing a team that continued to compete convincingly with the division’s leading clubs.
