After Pep Guardiola and Raheem Sterling left the press conference, Aston Villa's head coach Dean Smith and Theodore Bjorn took the stage.
Smith smiled, gesturing to the packed room.
"Facing a top team really makes a difference. There are far more reporters here than when we play in the Championship."
He paused, his expression turning serious. "I'm well aware that tomorrow's match against Manchester City will be incredibly tough. Manchester City hasn't lost in a long time, but neither has Aston Villa. Perhaps we can't compare to them in terms of player quality, but I believe that once the match kicks off tomorrow night, my players will make up for their technical shortcomings with relentless running. We're prepared to battle them to the end. Regardless of the outcome, Aston Villa will fight until the final minute of the match."
As Smith finished, the local Birmingham reporters gave him a warm round of applause.
Next, as the player representative, Theodore spoke.
"I'm really looking forward to the match," he said, his tone steady. "Without a doubt, Manchester City is currently the best club in England. They have world-class stars in almost every position. Playing against such a super team will undoubtedly help improve my personal abilities. But I've always loved this saying: 'The ball is round, and anything can happen.' Manchester City is indeed strong, but no team in the world can win forever—not even them."
The Birmingham reporters erupted in applause again, hopeful that the young star could lead Villa to a miracle.
...
Over on the Manchester City fan forums and Twitter, Theodore's remarks drew widespread mockery from the City faithful.
[Is this kid crazy? Does he really think a Championship side can beat City? That's ridiculous.]
[After the match, Pep Guardiola's team will make this kid feel utter despair.]
[Aston Villa is just a second-tier team. What are they so arrogant about?]
[To be fair, this Norwegian kid has performed quite well in the Championship, and he's only 17. If he plays exceptionally in this match, City would definitely sign him.]
...
The next day. 5:00 PM.
Villa Park was already surrounded by a massive crowd of Aston Villa fans.
They gathered in small groups, discussing the upcoming match, with many loudly singing the team anthem, "Hi Ho Aston Villa."
Amidst the sea of claret, there were patches of sky-blue—the traveling supporters of Manchester City.
As the top club in English football, City naturally boasted a massive fanbase.
Inside Villa Park, the Manchester City players had already begun their pre-match pitch familiarization.
About forty minutes later, the Aston Villa players emerged.
During their warm-ups, the City players were chatting and laughing, appearing relaxed and at ease. Every player's face showed quiet confidence.
In contrast, the Aston Villa players looked visibly tense. Every man in claret and blue knew exactly how terrifying Manchester City could be.
To defend their honor at home, they had to give everything and grit their teeth just to have a glimmer of hope.
"Relax, Jack. I never thought I'd see you nervous," Theodore said during a passing drill, noticing Grealish's uncharacteristically grim expression.
"Theo, Manchester City is the top team in the Premier League," Grealish replied, shaking his head.
"Their manager is currently the number one in football. Who wouldn't be nervous facing such a superpower?"
Theodore offered a small smile. "Jack, maybe in the future, you'll become a part of Manchester City too."
Hearing this, Grealish finally cracked a smile.
He patted Theodore on the shoulder and joked, "Haha. Although I'd love to play for Pep Guardiola, I'm not good enough. Guardiola would never want me. Unless he's blind."
"Have confidence," Theodore replied calmly. "Anything is possible."
While the two playmakers chatted, Dean Smith and his assistant, John Terry, were having a final debate about the starting lineup.
According to Smith's initial pre-match plan, Villa would focus heavily on defense, parking the bus and looking for counterattack opportunities around the 70th minute.
He had considered benching striker Tammy Abraham to deploy a strikerless, heavily fortified midfield.
However, John Terry vehemently opposed this proposal. During his playing days, Terry was an outstanding defender, perhaps England's strongest.
Having captained a Chelsea side famous for its defensive grit, Terry understood the nuances of parking the bus.
He argued that while benching Abraham would add a body in midfield, it would strip Villa of any attacking outlet.
The essence of good defense requires a threat of offense.
If Abraham remained on the pitch, his presence would force City's center-backs to stay honest, preventing them from pushing forward recklessly.
It would also ensure Villa always had a target man for the counter-attack.
After a heated discussion, Smith ultimately agreed with Terry's reasoning.
At 7:00 PM, the starting lineups were announced.
Up in the Sky Sports gantry, Martin Tyler and Gary Neville prepared for the broadcast.
"The 2018-2019 season FA Cup semi-final clash between Aston Villa and Manchester City is about to begin," Tyler announced. "Aston Villa sits third in the Championship, while their opponents, Manchester City, are at the top of the Premier League table. Let's look at the lineups. Dean Smith has deployed a 4-5-1 formation."
"Lovre Kalinić is in goal," Tyler continued. "The four defenders are Hutton, Elphick, Mings, and Neil Taylor. The five midfielders are Theodore Bjorn, Hourihane, Jedinak, McGinn, and Grealish. The lone striker is Abraham, who has been dominating in the Championship."
Neville broke down the visitors. "To fully prepare for this match, Dean Smith rested players in the league. In contrast, Manchester City played Cardiff City just three days ago, and they face Tottenham in the Champions League in another three days. Despite such a packed schedule, Guardiola's rotation is still frighteningly strong."
"Claudio Bravo is in goal," Neville listed. "The back four is Danilo, Otamendi, Laporte, and Benjamin Mendy. Fabian Delph, İlkay Gündoğan, and Bernardo Silva make up the midfield three. The forward line features Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, and Raheem Sterling. And their bench.... is incredible: Fernandinho, Leroy Sané, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Agüero, and Vincent Kompany."
On Twitter, fans saw the lineup Guardiola had fielded and instantly felt despair for the home side.
[You call this a rotation lineup? It's way too strong.]
[Aston Villa is definitely losing tonight. There's no way they can win.]
[City's lineup is too luxurious. Villa will lose by at least three goals.]
[I don't dare hope for Villa to win anymore. I just hope Theo has a good game.]
[City truly lives up to being a powerhouse. Their bench depth is insane.]
Down in the player tunnel, the two teams lined up.
Theodore stood at the very back of the Aston Villa line.
Seeing the array of world-class stars lined up beside him, he felt a surge of excitement.
He was eager to test himself against the very best!
Led by referee Anthony Taylor, the teams stepped onto the pitch.
Instantly, Villa Park erupted.
Over 30,000 fans passionately belted out "Hi Ho Aston Villa," creating a wall of sound.
"Villa! Villa! Villa!"
After the handshakes, the battle officially began.
Tweeeeeet.
"Anthony Taylor blows the whistle to start the match," Tyler called. "Aston Villa, playing at home, kicks off first."
As Tyler spoke, Abraham immediately passed the ball back to Theodore in the center circle.
Fabian Delph instantly charged toward the teenager to apply pressure.
Theodore didn't dwell on the ball.
He decisively pinged a diagonal pass out to Grealish on the left flank.
"Aston Villa on the attack early," Tyler noted, surprised. "Who would have thought that the Championship side would be the first to launch an attack toward Manchester City's goal."
"If Aston Villa wants to break through tonight, it will rely entirely on the connection between Theodore and Grealish," Neville added.
On the left flank, Grealish received the ball and was immediately pressured by Danilo.
Grealish didn't pass back.
He flicked the ball with his left foot and accelerated, trying to beat the Brazilian full-back with pace.
However, Danilo matched him stride for stride, giving the Villa captain no room to operate.
Seeing his path blocked, Grealish hit the brakes, holding the ball up. While he couldn't beat Danilo, the City defender couldn't dispossess him either.
Grealish's ball protection skills were elite.
Before long, Gündoğan drifted over to help Danilo, creating a double-team.
Grealish had achieved his goal of drawing the defense.
He quickly slipped a pass inside.
Theodore received the ball right at the edge of the penalty area.
The roar inside Villa Park was deafening as the crowd urged him to shoot.
Sensing the danger, Delph and Bernardo Silva swarmed him, attempting to steal the ball.
Theodore didn't hesitate.
The moment he controlled the pass, he pulled his right foot back and unleashed a venomous strike.
Boom!
The ball rocketed toward the top corner of the Manchester City goal.
On the line, Claudio Bravo showcased his exceptional reflexes. Diving to his right at full stretch, he managed to get a strong hand to the ball, pushing it away.
"WHAT A SAVE BY CLAUDIO BRAVO!!!" Tyler shouted. "Theodore Bjorn almost caught him out with a spectacular strike from distance, but the Chilean denies him!"
"A world-class save," Neville agreed. "His reaction speed is truly incredible."
In the stands, thirty thousand Villa fans held their heads in their hands, groaning in disbelief that the shot hadn't gone in.
On the pitch, Theodore shook his head with a wry smile.
Before Villa could regroup, Nicolas Otamendi scooped up the loose ball and immediately launched a piercing through ball.
In an instant, the ball landed at the feet of Bernardo Silva, initiating a lightning-fast counterattack.