The final nine games of the Championship season look set to throw up the usual drama as teams scramble to win promotion to the Premier League.

As things stand, Leeds United lead the way with West Brom close behind in second. Six points behind the baggies come Fulham and four points behind them are fellow West Londoners Brentford.

The Bees have been building steadily throughout their time in the second tier and in many ways it appears to have been building to this moment. For the first time in a while, a big attacking asset has not been sold on for a huge profit, signalling a real intent to win promotion in their final season at Griffin Park.

One player who has become more and more influential since the turn of the calendar year is Emiliano Marcondes.

He has made 18 appearances across the FA Cup and Championship since then, having spent the first half of the campaign out on loan with FC Midtjylland in Denmark.

Here, we take a closer look at his stats from those 18 appearances and analyse just how good he has been...

QUIZ: Can you name these 15 ex-Brentford right-backs?

The 25-year-old has undoubtedly added a much-needed boost to the centre of this Brentford side, adding a sense of bravery and positivity to Thomas Frank's midfield.

He has occasionally played out wide too but it is in that more central role where he has shone.

The Bees' midfield has been the most underrate regiment in their side this season. The BMW attack has understandably grabbed the headlines whilst their newfound strength in defence has also attracted deserved plaudits.

But the likes of Josh Dasilva, Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen have all been crucial as well, linking up the two factions brilliantly. It is a party which Marcondes has arrived late to but is starting to really show his class.

The most notable aspect of his game is his passing. Sure, he has scored two goals and set-up two as well which is great. But a passing accuracy of 74% is impressive for an attacking player.

However, crucially for a team like Brentford, is the direction of those passes. A real gripe with many football fans is when those in midfield constantly pass backwards or sideways, but that is never the intent of Marcondes.

He may have played 70 passes backwards in those 18 appearances but the fact that 132 have gone forward shows how his faith in his own ability is aiding the Brentford cause.

With Ollie Watkins proving his prowess in the air, he has also shown a willingness to cross the ball, completing 25% of them so far.

During their 5-0 weekend win against Sheffield Wednesday he was excellent and appears to have secured a starting place in Frank's midfield, and that could prove a big help in Brentford's run-in.