Igor Thiago scores twice as Brentford’s unlikely European push continues

Igor Thiago scored twice to keep Brentford’s unlikely European push on track and become the top-scoring Brazilian in a Premier League season in a 3-0 win over Sunderland.

The 24-year-old striker notched his 15th and 16th goals of a sparkling campaign, taking him past the season’s-best tallies of countrymen Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Martinelli and Matheus Cunha.

Yehor Yarmoliuk added a third to sink fellow surprise packages Sunderland, who were left to rue Enzo Le Fee making a mess of a Panenka penalty when he could have made it 1-1.

Moments later Thiago, Sunday’s hat-trick hero against Everton, grabbed his second to put the Bees on the way to a fourth win in five matches.

Brentford always like to make a fast start and Black Cats goalkeeper Robin Roefs was forced into his first save after just 37 seconds, tipping Kevin Schade’s lob over the crossbar.

They took the lead on the half-hour after Vitaly Janelt nicked possession from Nordi Mukiele in midfield.

The German’s instant, inch-perfect through-ball sent Thiago clean through to round Roefs and roll into an empty net.

Brentford almost had a second in stoppage-time of a one-sided first half when Lewis Keane-Potter’s free-kick clipped the crossbar.

For Sunderland, a scuffed free-kick from Granit Xhaka and a blocked effort from Dan Ballard was the sum total of their efforts in the opening half.

They had a better chance at the start of the second but Le Fee side-footed over the crossbar from 18 yards.

And they were gifted a route back into the match in the 57th minute when Kristoffer Ajer clumsily bundled over Brian Brobbey in the area.

But Le Fee’s misplaced confidence saw him chip the ball straight into the arms of Bees keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Kelleher is something of a penalty-saving specialist, having saved efforts from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe in the past.

But he did not have to move a muscle to stop this one, merely standing in the centre of his goal to take a dolly of a catch.

Le Fee’s embarrassment was complete moments later when Schade’s shot came back off the crossbar and Mathias Jensen lifted the ball back to the far post.

Schade headed it across goal where Thiago was on hand to tuck away his record-breaking goal.

The Black Cats, like the Bees, are enjoying a fine season despite being tipped to struggle, but they were finished off with 17 minutes still to play when Yarmoliuk lashed in the third.