Igor Thiago set the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian in a Premier League season, as his brace fired Brentford to a phenomenal 3-0 win against Sunderland on Wednesday night.
Thiago's 15th and 16th goals of the season were added to by Yehor Yarmoliuk, who scored his first goal in a Bees shirt. Another Caoimhín Kelleher penalty save from an Enzo Le Fée Panenka also played a pivotal role in securing the three points, which took the west Londoners up to fifth in the Premier League table.
Head coach Keith Andrews made two changes to the side that beat Everton 4-2 at the weekend, with Rico Henry and Keane Lewis-Potter replacing Aaron Hickey and Mikkel Damsgaard in the starting XI.
Brentford had the first chance of the game inside 60 seconds, when Yarmoliuk burst into the final third and sent a cross into the box. It was only half-cleared by the head of Omar Alderete to Kevin Schade, who sent a lofted effort to the far post, which had to be acrobatically tipped over the bar by Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs.
After Mathias Jensen missed an opportunity to lob the keeper from 50 yards and the initial attack broke down, Michael Kayode won the ball back and progressed it well, initially through a powerful dribble and then a switch to Schade. The forward slipped a ball through to Thiago in a wide area inside the penalty area, with the Brazilian shooting across goal, but his effort flashed just past the post.
Bar a tame Granit Xhaka free-kick that was saved relatively easily by Kelleher, all the chances were falling Brentford's way. The Bees had a set-piece of their own when Henry was fouled out wide, and Jensen's cross-cum-shot hit the back of Kristoffer Ajer and deflected just past the post.
And those opportunities were finally rewarded with a goal on the half-hour mark. Vitaly Janelt did superbly well to win the ball back in midfield, before threading a pinpoint pass through to Thiago. And the centre-forward did what he's been doing all season, as he calmly rounded Roefs and slotted into the back of the net.
It was Thiago's 15th goal of the season - becoming the quickest Brentford player to hit that mark in a Premier League campaign - and Janelt's fourth assist in five games.
The hosts had one more chance before the break, when Trai Hume dragged back Lewis-Potter and picked up a booking, before the winger stepped up and clipped the crossbar with the resulting free-kick.
Sunderland started the second half well and created an opening just a few minutes after break. Some good work from Nordi Mukiele and Simon Adingra saw the ball make its way to Le Fée, who couldn't keep his effort down and fired over the bar.
Le Fée continued to be at the heart of the visitors' attacks, as it was his free-kick that was headed over by Alderete, before he set up substitute Romain Mundle, who also shot over the bar from just inside the penalty area.
And the Black Cats had a great opportunity to level just before the hour mark, when Ajer dragged Brian Brobbey down inside the box, and referee Matthew Donohue pointed to the spot. Le Fée stepped up and clipped the ball down the middle of the goal, only for Kelleher to remain unmoved and comfortably catch the ball.
After Sunderland missed a golden opportunity to level the scores, Brentford doubled their lead on 65 minutes. Schade hit the bar moments before the Bees' second, after a quick counter attack involving Thiago and Damsgaard.
The ball deflected out to Jensen, who whipped a ball into Schade at the back post. The German did a superb job of nodding it back across to Thiago, who matched his team-mate's header by steering a header home for his brace.
Roefs denied Thiago back-to-back hat-tricks by keeping his shot out well at the near post, before a more unlikely goalscorer netted Brentford's third goal of the game. A corner from the left found its way to Yarmoliuk and, from close range, he thumped the ball through the Sunderland keeper and into the back of the net.
Damsgaard hit the woodwork with 15 minutes to play, before an incredible scooped pass from the Dane to Reiss Nelson could have created a fourth, only for the loanee to volley just past the post in stoppage-time.
Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode (Hickey 81), Ajer, Collins, Henry; Janelt, Jensen (Henderson 76), Yarmoliuk; Schade, Thiago (Nelson 81), Lewis-Potter (Damsgaard 61)
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, van den Berg, Pinnock, Peart-Harris, Donovan
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard (Cirkin 78), Alderete (O'Nien 81), Hume; Xhaka, Geertruida (Neil 78); Le Fée, Rigg (Mayenda 52), Adingra (Mundle 52); Brobbey
Subs not used: Patterson, Hjelde, Jones, Tutierov
Attendance: 17,016
Andrews: The way we approached that game was excellent
Keith Andrews labelled Brentford's win over Sunderland as a "very impressive performance" at Gtech Community Stadium.
"I'm really pleased, it was a really good performance," said the Bees head coach.
"I thought the lads were excellent in the way they approached it: they attacked the game. At this time of year, games can become a bit sluggish, just because of the nature of how quickly they come, and I didn't want it to feel like that tonight.
"I wanted us to be proactive and I thought we were; after 10/15 minutes, we were moving the ball more quickly and really causing them problems.
"It was a very impressive performance."
Janelt reveals tactical inspiration behind Brentford opener
Vitaly Janelt talks through his fourth assist in five games, as he played the ball through to Igor Thiago for the Bees' opener on Wednesday night.
Janelt explained: "I didn't really think too much about it!
"I won the ball back and, in the meeting, we picked out that both of their centre-backs are very wide, so that meant Thiago might be free. I saw him running, played the ball through, and he did amazing."
After recently making his 150th Premier League appearance for the club, he added: "I came here more than five years ago as a 22-year-old, and the journey that I've had with this club is amazing.
"I've seen everything from the Championship to now [sat fifth in the Premier League]. It makes me proud and I just want to keep going."