Igor Thiago: 'CR7 is my idol'. So can the Brentford talisman break the Portuguese's tally from 2008 and lead Bees to Europe after latest brace against the Black Cats?

By Capital Football Reporter at Gtech Community Stadium

Premier League Matchday 21

Brentford 3-0 Sunderland

Goals: Thiago 30', Thiago 65', Yarmolyuk 73' (B)

"Ronaldo or Romario? No, Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol!", grinning two-goal hero Igor Thiago proudly told Capital Football after Brentford trashed Sunderland.

And while his statement did not bat an eyelid among the present reporters in the mixed zone after the game given the Portuguese superstar's standing in England, it would surely have raised a few eyebrows in his native Brazil. Where Ronaldo il Fenomeno is untouchable. And Romario an all-time hero after his heroics in 1994.

Not exactly the PR calling card he needs to win over a football mad country in a bid to secure a place in the World Cup plane. But in the end, strikers are judged on goals and goals only. And Brazil lack a prolific target man of his ilk. If this season is anything to go by, he's clearly a better finisher than both Joao Pedro and Richarlison.

But his controversial pick is all immaterial now... as Brentford's goal sensation is dreaming of beating Cristiano Ronaldo's best-ever return in the Premier League after his latest brace against Sunderland took his tally to a staggering 16 goals in 21 appearances. And that in his first full season after spending the majority of last term on the treatment table following his move from Bruges due to a serious meniscus injury.

There are still 17 fixtures ahead of him to get to CR7's personal English record of 31 which he set in 2007/2008.

But one more will do to get past the Man United legend's 17 from 2007 while a pair of strikes will see him equal the 18 he netted on his final season at Old Trafford before his switch to Real Madrid. Considering that he was still playing in Bulgaria three years ago that would be a remarkable ascent to superstardom.

Level on 30 points, it was Brentford who came out on top in this game between sides punching above their weight and that many had their money on going down before the season began. Sunderland because of what often happens to newly promoted sides, the way they rode their luck in the playoff final against Sheffield United and their transfer splurge bringing up notorious memories of QPR breaking their own bank to bring in overpaid stars who flopped abroad in the early 2010s. And we all know how that ended. And Brentford after the exits of Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.

But both sides remarkably made mockeries of these superficial predictions.

And the Bees even more so after playing cat and mouse with the Wearsiders in the first period at the Gtech yesterday night.

'Talking is the best tactic', Brentford's scoreboard read before the game to promote an ongoing mental health awareness campaign.

And Keith Andrews' players did just that, by doing their talk on the pitch. And after Xhaka sent an innocuously low free-kick into Kelleher's arms, it was only Brentford, Brentford, Brentford barring the first 15 minutes of the restart.

On the half-hour mark, Thiago made another case to earn a maiden call-up by Carlo Ancelotti after letting his killer instinct loose on Sunderland.

He made a run into space after Vitaly Janelt caught Mukiele in possession in Brentford's own-half before sending a telegraphed pass towards the ex-Ludogorets man.

He then rounded Robin Roefs before rolling into an empty net.

Keane Lewis-Potter came within a whisker of doubling the lead just before the break but his direct free-kick smacked the northern part of the crossbar.

Sunderland looked like a different proposition after restart but could not capitalize.

Omar Alderete sent a header wide before Enzo Le Fée blew the chance for level terms when his audacious penalty chip through the middle was comfortably collected by Ireland's number one.

Ajer had pulled down Brian Brobbey in the box.

That was the sliding-door moment with no return.

Seconds after rattling the crossbar after being teed up by Thiago, partner-in-crime Kevin Schade flicked on Mathias Jensen's far-cross post for the Brazilian to burst Sunderland's bubble with a clinical header.

In the 73rd minute, Yehor Yarmolyuk pounced on a loose ball after a scrap in the box to smash home a volley.

Brentford are fifth and dreaming of European football and why not the Champions League if the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United don't find a remedy for their patchy form. Yet none of these clubs has a striker like Thiago who is second only to Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts.

When all is said and done, if their talisman extends his rich vein of form then anything is possible. For himself , the club he's leading to unprecedented heights and perhaps Brazil.

If he does 'a Bebeto', who wasn't sure himself of making the United States in 1994, not many back home will care if he prefers Cristiano to two of the country's greatest-ever footballers.