"Aston Villa take the lead!" Drury screamed, his voice cracking with pure adrenaline. "It's an absolute miracle in North London! From 3-1 down, Dean Smith's newly promoted side have scored three unanswered goals to take the lead in the 84th minute! A brilliant flick-on from Bjorn, and Wesley secures his brace!"
Wesley completely lost his mind.
He ripped his shirt off, screaming in pure euphoria as he sprinted toward the corner flag.
He didn't care about the inevitable yellow card, the moment was too massive!
High up in the away end, the traveling Aston Villa fans erupted into absolute chaos, bodies tumbling over rows of seats as they celebrated the impossible.
The Spurs fans sat in stunned defeated silence.
With only six minutes of regular time remaining, the goal was a psychological dagger to the heart of the Tottenham squad.
Desperate to salvage a point, Pochettino threw his final roll of the dice.
He hauled off Eriksen and brought on the electric Brazilian winger, Lucas Moura.
Though small in stature, Moura possessed terrifying, game-breaking speed.
Pochettino hoped he could inject enough chaos to force an equalizer.
In the 88th minute, Moura received the ball in the center of the pitch.
Instantly, McGinn, Grealish, and Hourihane collapsed on him.
The Villa midfield had formed an impenetrable wall, determined not to let anyone through.
Realizing he couldn't dribble his way out of the three-man press, Moura turn and sprayed a desperate pass out wide.
The ball rolled to the feet of Son Heung-min as the clock ticked over into the 89th minute.
Son Heung-min killed the ball with his right foot, and Theodore Bjorn stepped up to meet him.
"Son Heung-min isolated against Theodore Bjorn," Peter Drury noted over the Sky Sports broadcast.
"This is a monumental clash. The established king of Asian football taking on the rising prince."
Fans on the stadium braced for the final sequence.
"Here we go. Son vs Theo. Inject this into my veins."
"Don't let him cut inside on that right foot, Theo!"
"Spurs are gassed, but Son is still dangerous."
"Hold the line, Villa!"
"Shut him down, kid. We need these three points."
On the pitch, Son looked surprised to see the seventeen-year-old squaring him up.
All match, Ahmed Elmohamady had been his shadow. He didn't dwell on the switch, though. He needed to break the line.
Son threw two rapid feints, trying to snap Theodore's balance and force a mistake.
Even though he was young, Theodore had logged heavy, grueling minutes in the Championship.
He didn't bite on the trickery.
He stayed composed, keeping his eyes glued to the ball and holding his ground.
Seeing the kid wasn't taking the bait, Son pushed the ball onto his right foot and accelerated hard down the left flank.
Normally, he'd look to whip a cross into the box for Kane to bury.
But things didn't go to plan. After making his push, Son realized he couldn't shake Theodore.
Son possessed world-class pace, but the clock read eighty-nine minutes.
He was drained.
Spurs had leaned on his sprints down the left wing all night, and those heavy miles had taken a brutal toll.
His legs felt like lead.
Seeing the ball creeping toward the touchline, Son desperately tried to hook it back with his left foot to force a cross.
He didn't get the chance.
Theodore lunged in, extending his leg and stripping the ball away before booting it deep into the stands.
He didn't even concede a corner.
"Brilliant, cynical defending from the teenager," Drury praised. "He tracks the run and shuts the door on Son. It's the final minute of regular time, yet Bjorn's legs look as fresh as they did at kickoff."
As Theodore cleared the ball, the fourth official raised the electronic board.
Four minutes of stoppage time.
Four minutes for Tottenham to find a lifeline.
Pochettino had emptied his bench, leaving Spurs with no fresh legs to chase the game.
Dean Smith, on the other hand, had all three subs in his pocket.
He hadn't dared to touch his starting eleven during the chaos, but now it was time to kill the clock.
In the 91st minute, Wesley, exhausted after his brace, trudged off to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
He was replaced by Douglas Luiz.
A minute later, Jack Grealish limped off, swapping with Ezri Konsa to bolt the defense shut.
In the 93rd minute, Smith made his final move.
Theodore walked toward the touchline, replaced by Henri Lansbury.
As Theodore crossed the white line, the traveling Villa supporters erupted into a deafening roar.
"And there goes the man of the hour," Drury announced. "Theodore Bjorn makes way for Henri Lansbury. Two goals, one assist, and a defensive masterclass. An unforgettable Premier League debut for the seventeen-year-old."
Dean Smith and John Terry grabbed Theodore the second he reached the dugout, pulling him into a massive hug.
"You played out of your skin today, Theo," Smith grinned, adrenaline making his voice shake. "You're bloody brilliant. You've got me thinking we can actually crack the top four. Hell, keep playing like that and we'll win the whole damn league."
Theodore grabbed a water bottle, keeping his emotions in check.
"I'll do my best, Boss."
Unlike Smith's wild hype, Theodore stayed grounded.
He knew the brutal reality of a thirty-eight-game season. Winning the league with their current squad depth was practically impossible.
But football was a strange game, and anything could happen.
Seconds later, The referee blew the final whistle.
Full time!
Aston Villa had walked into North London and beaten last year's Champions League finalists 4-3!
The Villa bench cleared, players swarming the pitch and piling on top of each other.
The Spurs players collapsed onto the grass, staring blankly at the sky in pure defeat.
...
Theodore was handed the Man of the Match award!
Down in the press tunnel, a reporter from The Times shoved a microphone in his face.
"Theo, congratulations on a massive opening day victory. Yesterday, you told the press Villa had top-four potential, and today you backed it up against elite opposition."
"Thanks," Theodore nodded.
"Talk us through your first taste of Premier League football. How did it feel out there?"
"It was alright," Theodore shrugged, keeping a straight face. "The intensity wasn't as high as I expected. Spurs are a tough team, but we held our own. Like I said yesterday, I've always believed we belong at the top."