This was originally Liverpool's attacking opportunity.
After midfielder Gini Wijnaldum carried the ball into the attacking third, he was immediately surrounded by several Aston Villa players.
Douglas Luiz and John McGinn employed a double-team defensive strategy, attempting to dispossess Wijnaldum.
However, the Liverpool midfielder did not give his opponents a chance. He decisively passed the ball to Mohamed Salah on the right flank.
But just as Wijnaldum released the pass, Theodore Bjorn decisively executed a sliding tackle, successfully intercepting the opponent's passing lane!
The ball was once again under Aston Villa's control.
After a few passes, the ball eventually found its way to Jack Grealish on the left flank.
And so, Grealish once again faced off against Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Since Alexander-Arnold is an attack-minded full-back with weaker defensive capabilities, and his jersey number is 66, many fans refer to him as "Highway 66."
When Alexander-Arnold appeared in front of Grealish, the "Villa Magician" suddenly slowed his pace before abruptly accelerating toward the inside!
After creating a sliver of space, Grealish immediately took the shot.
Boom!!
The ball swerved rapidly toward the far corner of the Liverpool goal.
Since Alexander-Arnold's positioning during the defense obstructed the goalkeeper's line of sight, Alisson's diving save was already too late.
"5–2!!"
"Aston Villa scores again!"
"Grealish finds the net!!"
"Could it be that Aston Villa will massacre Liverpool at home tonight?" Peter Drury exclaimed.
Inside Villa Park, Grealish, having scored a goal, was ecstatic.
He celebrated with a powerful knee slide. Soon, Aston Villa players rushed to Grealish, embracing him in celebration.
At this moment, every Villa player was filled with excitement and exhilaration.
Meanwhile, their opponents, the Liverpool players, wore expressions of despair on their faces.
Klopp's all-out attacking tactics not only failed to produce a goal but also allowed the opponents to counter-attack and score.
This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
A terrible trade-off.
But Klopp also understood clearly that Liverpool now had no way back, they could only continue to attack. Whether the final score was 5–2 or 6–2, it would still be a loss.
In the away supporters' section, thousands of traveling Liverpool fans continued to support their team.
The song "You'll Never Walk Alone" once again echoed throughout the stands.
The Liverpool fans hoped their resounding chants would inject strength into the players on the pitch.
After the restart, Liverpool's players launched another attack. And this time, they finally succeeded.
Sadio Mané, originally positioned on the left flank, actively dropped back into the penalty area.
After receiving the ball on the right flank, Salah did not choose to go it alone.
Instead, he immediately played a cross into the penalty area.
This time, Salah's pass was extremely fast.
His intended target was naturally striker Roberto Firmino, but due to the blistering pace of the ball, neither Firmino nor the Aston Villa defenders managed to make contact with it.
The ball miraculously found its way to Mané's feet!
The latter flicked the ball and immediately unleashed a right-footed volley as the ball flew into the net!
"The fiery warrior! Mané scores!"
"Five to three!!"
"Liverpool, playing away, have not given up the match! Mané has helped Liverpool score their third goal of the game!"
"There are still 13 minutes left in the match! Liverpool still have a chance to equalize!" Peter Drury shouted.
On the sidelines, Liverpool's head coach Klopp was even pumping his fists.
Now, the gap between Aston Villa and Liverpool was only two goals.
Scoring two goals in thirteen minutes, while challenging, was not impossible for Liverpool.
After the kickoff, Dean Smith's team did not choose to waste time passing the ball around in their own half. Instead, they immediately passed the ball to Theodore Bjorn.
Clearly, Aston Villa also wanted to continue attacking.
Near the center circle, as soon as Theodore Bjorn received the ball, Liverpool's three attacking players sprinted toward him at full speed: Mané, Salah, and Firmino!
Faced with the pressing from Liverpool's attacking trio, Theodore Bjorn naturally dared not take it lightly and immediately passed the ball to his midfield partner McGinn.
The Scottish international, upon receiving the ball, chose to dribble forward.
But soon, Wijnaldum also closed in on McGinn.
The latter had no choice but to pass the ball back to Theodore Bjorn.
In the center of midfield, Theodore Bjorn glanced toward the goal and immediately unleashed a powerful shot!
This time, Theodore Bjorn was about 40 meters away from the goal.
Although he possessed Cristiano Ronaldo's peak long-range shooting ability, scoring from over 40 meters with a long-range shot was extremely difficult.
Clang!!
Sure enough, Theodore Bjorn's long-range attempt did not find the target but struck the goalpost.
"A near-miss long-range shot!"
"The quality of Theodore Bjorn's long-range effort was already high enough!"
"A brilliant attempt from the young man!"
Liverpool's goal kick.
Alisson launched the ball forward with a long kick, and Firmino and Mings contested for the header near the edge of the penalty area.
The Aston Villa center-back, standing at 196cm tall, ultimately won the aerial duel.
He immediately passed the ball to Douglas Luiz in the midfield.
But as soon as the latter gained control of the ball, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson suddenly stole it from behind Douglas Luiz!
Possession quickly changed hands.
After winning the ball, Henderson immediately passed it to Salah on the right flank.
In crucial moments, Liverpool's attack still relied on Salah's dribbling.
However, Salah's stamina was already depleted.
Although he managed to get past Villa's full-back Targett, when Grealish appeared in front of the Egyptian King, Salah's legs had lost their strength.
He could only grit his teeth and force a cross!
Liverpool did not create a miracle.
Salah's cross was successfully blocked by Grealish, and then Grealish launched another long ball, sending it straight to the front.
Near the edge of the penalty area, Virgil van Dijk was already prepared to attack the ball, but this time his opponent was not Wesley—it was Theodore Bjorn.
Both players jumped simultaneously!
Although Van Dijk had a height advantage over Theodore Bjorn, by the 85th minute of the match, Van Dijk's stamina was nearly depleted, while Theodore Bjorn's energy was only half spent.
With this physical advantage, Theodore Bjorn successfully won the first header over Van Dijk!
...
Theodore Bjorn then quickly headed the ball to Wesley.
The next second, the Brazilian striker charged into the Liverpool penalty area with the ball at a sprinting pace.
However, under Dejan Lovren's interference, Wesley's breakthrough ultimately failed. His shot sailed over the crossbar.
Goal kick for Liverpool.
The score remained 5–3, with Aston Villa leading by two goals at home.
And the match had already entered stoppage time.
There were a total of 5 minutes of added time. Without a doubt, these five minutes would be Liverpool's final chance.
Fans in the stands at Villa Park had already started the wave.
Although the match was not yet over, Aston Villa fans were absolutely certain that tonight's victory would undoubtedly belong to them.
During stoppage time, although Liverpool players continued to run actively and even created threats in Aston Villa's penalty area, they did not manage to create a miracle.
Five minutes later, the final score was set at 5–3.
Aston Villa, playing at home, defeated Liverpool, securing their 11th consecutive win of the new season.
At the same time, Aston Villa continued to sit firmly at the top of the league table!
...
At the post-match press conference, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp faced questions from reporters.
"Mr. Klopp, let's talk about tonight's match. Your team conceded five goals at Villa Park…" a reporter asked Klopp.
Klopp responded in a low tone, "I must admit, Aston Villa were the team more deserving of the three points. Their performance at home was nearly perfect, especially Theodore Bjorn."
"I have never seen a midfield talent like his before. His performance was truly outstanding. Whether in attack or defense, he always managed to showcase his talent."
"However, our fans need not worry, as the season is only in its 11th round. We still have 27 rounds to adjust our form. Next month, we will face Aston Villa again in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup, and Liverpool will seek revenge in that match."
...
Shortly after the match ended, English media promptly released match reports for Aston Villa vs. Liverpool, and without a doubt, Theodore Bjorn once again became the subject of praise from all media outlets.
Sky Sports: "The league leaders Aston Villa have once again defeated a Premier League giant at home. Last season's Premier League runners-up were completely outplayed by Villa in this match! The youngster once again scored four goals in a single match! Theodore Bjorn is now far ahead in the goal-scoring charts!"
The Times: "This was Villa's night. After defeating Manchester City away, Aston Villa defeated visiting Liverpool by the same scoreline at home. Theodore Bjorn once again scored four goals tonight!"
The Guardian: "The newly promoted Aston Villa have once again extended their lead at the top. Could Aston Villa truly achieve a 'Kaiserslautern miracle'? It is worth noting that in tonight's match, Aston Villa's midfield general, Theodore Bjorn, was once again voted Man of the Match, having scored four goals in the game!"
On English online media, all the fans were discussing the recently concluded Aston Villa vs. Liverpool match.
Almost all Premier League fans were convinced that Villa would be the top contender for the Premier League title.
"Villa is too strong! They've already beaten Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool—no one can stop this team now! They're going to win the Premier League!"
"The Premier League finally has its own Kaiserslautern miracle! I've watched many of Villa's matches, and their attack is ferocious, especially that 17-year-old player. His long-range shooting and heading ability are world-class!"
"Four of the Big Six have already lost to Aston Villa. Now it's up to Manchester United and Chelsea."
"To be honest, given Manchester United and Chelsea's form this season, there's no way they can beat Villa, who are in such great form!"
"The Premier League's Big Six should now become the Big Seven! Villa must be included in that group!"
"It's hard to imagine that a 17-year-old teenager could score four goals in two consecutive matches. What's even more unbelievable is that those matches were against Manchester City and Liverpool!"
"The Premier League might be about to change. Aston Villa is on the verge of creating their own dynasty!"
...
In the locker room, the Aston Villa players were ecstatic and overjoyed.
An 11-game winning streak and topping the Premier League table—these were things they never dared to imagine before the season.
But now, Villa had truly achieved it.
[Congratulations, superstar! Another crucial victory!] Dilraba suddenly sent a text message to Theodore Bjorn, who responded immediately.
[You're welcome. Are you back at the hotel yet?]
[Already on the flight! I have to go to the film set tomorrow for shooting! Next time I come, you must treat me to a feast!]
Given her schedule, she actually had no extra time to watch the match in person, but she sacrificed her sleep to catch the game.
...
The next day.
Birmingham was bathed in sunshine.
The Premier League and Europa League were about to enter a packed schedule.
For Dean Smith, he had to carefully balance the demands of both competitions.
Currently, Aston Villa had won all three of their Europa League group stage matches, earning nine points and virtually securing their place in the knockout rounds.
Therefore, Dean Smith decided to focus more on the Premier League schedule.
Their next Premier League opponent was Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Just the previous week, Aston Villa had defeated Wolves in the EFL Cup.
As the victors, the entire Villa team was brimming with confidence.
Even though this match was played at Wolves' home ground, Dean Smith's team put up a strong and resilient performance.
Especially Grealish and McGinn.
These two players each scored a close-range goal in the first and second halves, respectively, after receiving passes from Theodore Bjorn.
It was thanks to these goals from Grealish and McGinn that Aston Villa secured a 2-0 away victory, completing a double over Wolves.
"Aston Villa extend their incredible streak today,"
"It was a physical test, but Dean Smith's side passed with flying colors."
"Theodore Bjorn operated in a deeper playmaker role today,"
"He orchestrated the attacks beautifully against a low block."
In this match, the recently in-form Theodore Bjorn didn't score any goals himself but instead provided two assists.
Wolves cannot be considered a strong team in the Premier League, so Theodore Bjorn did not exert his full effort in this match, especially on the offensive end, where he took on more of a playmaking role.
Three days after the match against Wolves, Aston Villa's players faced their next opponent in the Europa League, Braga.
Dean Smith continued to rotate the squad for this game.
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