Igor Thiago: Brentford’s Brazilian Goal Machine

The club record signing then had a full pre-season behind him in 2025 and has seemed to hit the ground running from the very start.

After scoring single-digit goals against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Sunderland, he scored his first brace for the club in a 3-1 victory over Manchester United. He then added further braces against Newcastle and Burnley, before scoring a hat-trick against Everton at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In Brentford’s next match, things got even better for the Brazilian as he scored another brace against Sunderland. He had to wait a little longer for his next brace, but it came against West Ham in the FA Cup in a 3-2 defeat.

He was at it again at the weekend against Everton, scoring twice as the Bees drew 2-2 at home to the Merseyside club.

Thiago’s 21 goals this year make him the highest-scoring Brazilian in a single Premier League season.

He has a strong frame that allows him to compete with centre-backs, winning both aerial and ground duels. He’s perfect if Brentford want to go direct, something that is becoming more common in the modern game, with set-pieces and corners a key asset.

Off the ball, his high-intensity work rate allows him to press from the front and keep Brentford working hard. He’s more dynamic than a traditional target man, able to run, stretch defences, and get in behind the back four due to his physical presence. Rather than just being a static focal point, his ability to occupy defenders allows Brentford to create space for wide players and midfielders, meaning he doesn’t always need the ball to influence a game.

His finishing consistency was slightly weak at the start of his career, but he’s slowly improved that and has become a key figure for Brentford. Not many thought Brentford could replace Ivan Toney with such presence, but they’ve managed to do so.

He’s adapted to the Premier League perfectly, stepping up from the boy in Brazil to the player who developed in Bulgaria and Belgium, and now into one of the top strikers in the league this season. Still just 24, there’s plenty more to come from Thiago.

He made his Brazil debut in the recent internationals and even managed to get on the scoresheet in a 3-1 victory over Croatia in Orlando. He looks like he could be a real asset for Carlo Ancelotti and Brazil heading into the World Cup