Seven agonizing minutes later, Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle!
The Championship side, Aston Villa, had defeated the dominant Premier League force, Manchester City, 3-2, successfully advancing to the FA Cup final!
In the stands of Villa Park, over thirty thousand fans erupted into pure frenzy.
They applauded wildly, giving a deafening, standing ovation to every man in claret and blue.
"Brilliant! You are the pride of Villa!"
"We just beat the best team in the country! We can actually win the FA Cup!"
"Every single player was outstanding tonight. Keep pushing!"
"The most thrilling match I've ever seen. We ran them off the park!"
"We are the team that ended City's streak!"
In the Sky Sports studio, Martin Tyler's voice cracked with excitement.
"The biggest upset of this season's FA Cup, without a shadow of a doubt!"
"Gary, what do you think was the key to Aston Villa's historic victory tonight?" Tyler asked, turning to his co-commentator.
"The most crucial factor was the tireless, relentless running of every Villa player," Neville analyzed.
"Plus, I think Manchester City somewhat underestimated them. Especially after Villa equalized, Guardiola failed to make effective tactical adjustments to regain control."
Neville continued, "Although De Bruyne and Agüero came on, they didn't really perform to their true potential. The other City players also seemed hesitant to engage in physical challenges with Villa, likely fearing injuries ahead of a massive week. Perhaps Guardiola specifically emphasized caution before kickoff."
Down on the pitch at Villa Park, as the final whistle blew, almost all the Aston Villa players collapsed onto the turf, gasping for air.
They were utterly exhausted.
Throughout the grueling ninety minutes, they had maintained intense concentration and constant, lung-busting movement.
In fact, a few players were already receiving treatment for muscle cramps.
At the post-match press conference, Dean Smith was visibly emotional.
His voice hoarse as he addressed the media.
"This was a war of attrition," Smith stated proudly. "As everyone knows, Manchester City's quality is clearly superior to ours. But, over the course of ninety minutes, we managed to defeat them. I am immensely proud of every player who stepped on that pitch. They achieved something tonight that even some Premier League teams couldn't manage."
Later, Pep Guardiola faced the press.
Clearly frustrated by the loss, he spoke in a tone of weary resignation.
"I have nothing to say about the effort in this match," Guardiola sighed. "Our players are simply too tired. We've played three matches in almost ten days. The physical toll on us has been immense. Manchester City must prioritize the Champions League and the Premier League this season, which sadly means we had to sacrifice the FA Cup tonight."
He paused, offering credit where it was due. "Of course, Aston Villa performed exceptionally well. Their number 10, Grealish, and their number 16, Bjorn—their performances left a deep impression on me. I believe that with Aston Villa's current strength, they are fully capable of winning promotion and possibly even lifting the FA Cup trophy. They have what it takes."
Although Guardiola's team had lost, the legendary manager personally praised the Championship side.
After the press conferences concluded, fans and media across the country began dissecting Villa's glorious achievement.
Aston Villa fans were strutting through Twitter timelines with an air of invincibility, as almost all English media outlets published lavish praise for Dean Smith's giant-killers!
The Daily Mail: "FA Cup Shocker! Championship side Aston Villa defeats Manchester City 3-2 at home. Pep Guardiola's team suffers its first loss since January."
The Times: "Manchester City Defeated! A team from the Championship eliminates Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals. Aston Villa advances to the FA Cup final."
Birmingham Evening Mail: "The greatest match of the season. Villa Park erupts in celebration as Aston Villa eliminates Manchester City."
Manchester Evening News: "Manchester City, competing on three fronts, suffers a Waterloo in the FA Cup. City players appeared helpless against Villa's fierce defense."
...
Across the footballing world, prominent sports media outlets and pundits immediately expressed their astonishment at the match result.
The Athletic: "Theodore Bjorn led Aston Villa to defeat Premier League giants Manchester City. They are the only team to have beaten City in the last three months. The young Norwegian talent shone in this match, providing two assists while repeatedly making crucial defensive interventions. A superstar is rising at Villa."
Sky Sports: "After 90 minutes of intense battle, home side Aston Villa ultimately had the last laugh. After the match, Pep Guardiola specifically praised Theodore Bjorn's performance. Perhaps Guardiola will seek to sign the teenager in the future."
BBC Sport: "Shocking! A club from the Championship actually eliminated the Premier League leaders in the FA Cup. Manchester City lost to Aston Villa, missing their chance to reach the final."
On Twitter, Theodore Bjorn's name once again became the top trending topic.
Simultaneously, the phrase "City upset" became the second highest trend.
For a time, the entire football social media landscape was abuzz with discussions about his performance.
Shortly after the match ended, Theodore updated his Instagram account.
He did not post a video of the match, but simply shared a single photo—a candid group shot of the entire Aston Villa squad celebrating in the locker room.
He captioned it: "We achieved a great victory today. Aston Villa has successfully reached the final. Let's go!"
In less than ten minutes, the post received hundreds of thousands of likes, accompanied by countless comments from fans across the globe.
[Wow, my idol actually posted! Congratulations. Hope Aston Villa can win the FA Cup.]
[Theo, your performance tonight was truly out of this world.]
[Watching you play is a joy.]
[Hope to see you in the Europa League next season. Go Villa! Go Theo!]
[Always supporting you.]
[As a 20-year Villa fan, thank you for leading us to the FA Cup final.]
[Keep it up. Aim for the double at the end of the season.]
...
In Oslo, Norway.
At the family restaurant, Xia Dongguo and Marianne had been waiting nervously in front of the television.
When referee Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle on the screen, the couple excitedly embraced each other.
"Way to go, Theo," Dongguo cheered, his voice thick with pride. "Manchester City is the strongest team in the country. Beating them is no easy feat."
He turned to his wife, grinning broadly. "Marianne, I dare say that as long as his team defeated City, they have a ninety percent chance of winning the FA Cup. Once they secure that title, Aston Villa will be able to compete in the Europa League next season."
Compared to the prestige of playing in Europe, Marianne was far more concerned about her son's physical well-being.
She frowned slightly, her maternal instincts taking over. "Why play so many matches? It just increases the risk of injury. He should just focus on one competition. Running around like that is exhausting for a boy his age."
Dongguo waved a hand dismissively, his eyes twinkling with ambition.
"That's a mother's perspective. Playing in the Europa League will give our Theo more exposure. Who knows, maybe a massive club will sign him in the future."
...
In fact, after the masterclass against Manchester City, many top teams had already started to take serious notice of Theodore's presence.
Tonight's opponent, for instance.
Pep Guardiola immediately recommended Theodore Bjorn and Jack Grealish to City's sporting director, hoping the club could bring the Villa duo to the Etihad in the upcoming transfer window.
Additionally, their city rivals, Manchester United, expressed significant interest.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, United, once the dominant force in the Premier League, had seen their performances decline sharply.
They frequently lost to City in the Manchester derby, leaving the sky over Manchester firmly blue.
In an effort to restore the Red Devils' former glory, Manchester United had frequently changed coaches in recent seasons while desperately hoping to bring in top-tier talent.
Whenever other elite clubs tried to sign a rising star, United would often step in with a bid of their own.
This led many fans to dub them "Man Bid" for constantly inflating market prices.
So, when United's scouting staff saw the 17-year-old shine against their bitter rivals, they immediately expressed strong interest.
Aside from the two Manchester giants, another traditional powerhouse, Liverpool, also listed Theodore as a potential transfer target.
Liverpool's scouts had actually been keeping an eye on him for quite some time.
Based on his current playing style, he fit perfectly into Jürgen Klopp's high-intensity tactical system.
The German manager hoped to bring him to Anfield as an investment for the future.
Of course, compared to the financially powerful Manchester clubs, Liverpool's financial resources were relatively modest, so they had not yet made an official offer.
Meanwhile, both Manchester clubs submitted their first bids shortly after the match, with transfer fees hovering around €10 million.
Unsurprisingly, Aston Villa rejected both offers outright.
Villa made it clear that Theodore Bjorn was not for sale!
In the locker room, Theodore was unaware of the boardroom chaos unfolding around him.
Fortunately, his agent, Jonathan, promptly called to inform him of the news.
His phone buzzed.
Theodore checked the screen and answered.
"Theo, let me tell you a few things," Jonathan said, his tone brisk and businesslike. "Manchester City and Manchester United have both made their first-round offers to the club. These are exploratory bids, so the transfer fees proposed aren't particularly high—only 10 million euros. Aston Villa has clearly rejected them."
Jonathan paused, letting the weight of his next words sink in. "The club has stated that you are their untouchable asset."
Upon hearing this news, a slight look of surprise briefly crossed Theodore's face, but he quickly regained his composure.
He leaned back against his locker, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Is that so?" he replied smoothly. "I didn't expect the two Manchester giants to move so quickly."