Keith Andrews hails Igor Thiago after record-breaking display

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews could not hide his admiration for Igor Thiago after the forward scored twice in a dominant 3-0 win over Sunderland, declaring he would not trade the Brazilian for any player in the league.

The victory lifted Brentford to fifth in the Premier League table and capped another extraordinary night for Thiago, who continues to redefine expectations in his first season in England.

Thiago’s brace against Sunderland took him to 16 goals in 21 league games, setting a new record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season by a Brazilian player.

Only Erling Haaland has more goals this season, with the Manchester City forward sitting on 20. Thiago has now scored five goals in his last two matches, having netted a hat-trick against Everton last weekend.

The 22-year-old could even have claimed a second successive treble, but missed an early chance and was withdrawn in the 82nd minute as a precaution after taking a knock.

Explaining the substitution, Andrews admitted it was not an easy call.

“He’s precious to us,” Andrews said.
“So when he took a knock, it was always in my mind to look after him and take the edge off the full game.

“But when he’s on two goals, I know what way he’s wired, so that was always a difficult dilemma. I had to make that decision, which obviously wasn’t entirely popular with him.”

Andrews was keen to stress that Thiago’s value goes far beyond his finishing.

“He’s been sensational,” he added. “The way he’s attacked the league, the way he’s affected the league, the way he’s developing his game — you can see that in the types of goals he’s scoring now compared to earlier in the season.

“And it’s not just the goals. It’s his overall performance and the selfless way he plays the game. He’s not a centre-forward that just stays between two centre-backs and looks to poach.

“He’s all action. He leads the line, runs the channels, presses back, he’s amazing from set-pieces. He’s a complete centre-forward.”

With Thiago’s form impossible to ignore, talk has inevitably turned to international recognition. Asked whether he could force his way into Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad, Andrews made his stance clear.

“It’s not for me to pick the Brazil squad,” he said. “But I know what I think of Thiago and I hold him in the highest regard. I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody. I only see the trajectory going one way — and that’s upwards.”

Thiago joined Brentford in 2024 from Club Brugge, following an unconventional path that also included a spell in Bulgaria and a lengthy injury lay-off. Andrews believes even the most optimistic observers did not foresee this level of impact so quickly.

“I think anybody who thought he would have been this good would probably not be entirely honest,” Andrews admitted. “I don’t know how many have come from the Bulgarian league to the Belgian league, had a year out injured pretty much, and then affected the Premier League like this.

“I think he’s ahead of schedule, really.”

With Brentford firmly in the European conversation and Thiago’s confidence soaring, attention will turn to whether the striker can sustain his remarkable scoring rate through the second half of the season — and how long the Bees can keep hold of their talisman.

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