Juan Mata had carved out a pocket of space and didn't waste the opportunity.
Without hesitation, the Spaniard set his feet and fired a long-range effort.
But at that critical moment, Theodore Bjorn threw himself into the line of fire.
The teenager launched his body across the turf, successfully blocking Mata's shot.
"Crucial defensive intervention!" Drury shouted. "Theodore Bjorn is everywhere! He anticipates the danger brilliantly."
"If he doesn't throw his body in front of that, Mata's shot was destined for the back of the net," Beglin noted.
Having absorbed the impact of the shot, Theodore scrambled to his feet and instantly transitioned into attack.
He decisively sprayed a pass out to Jack Grealish on the left wing.
Theodore and Grealish shared a telepathic understanding on the pitch, honed through countless hours of training together at Bodymoor Heath.
That chemistry was devastating.
In an instant, the ball was glued to Grealish's feet, and Aston Villa broke with terrifying speed.
Despite Aaron Wan-Bissaka's textbook defensive positioning, Grealish didn't slow his momentum.
He dropped his shoulder, executing a rapid series of feints before brutally cutting inside.
The sudden change of direction left Wan-Bissaka stranded.
Having bypassed the full-back, Grealish glanced up, noted De Gea's positioning, and unleashed a curling shot toward the far post.
Bang!!
The ball struck the upright with a sickening thud. It was the second time Aston Villa had hit the woodwork in the first half.
"Villa's counter-attacks are slicing United open at will," Drury observed. "The home side looks incredibly vulnerable."
In the stands, the frustration among the Old Trafford faithful began to boil over into audible dissent.
"We are playing like absolute rubbish!" one fan screamed toward the dugout.
"Solskjær needs to sort this out! This is not Manchester United!"
"How are we being torn apart by a promoted team? What is this garbage defense?"
While Villa were top of the league, the United supporters still demanded dominance on their own turf.
Approaching the 20-minute mark, the match was entirely dictated by Dean Smith's men, leaving Solskjær visibly agitated on the touchline.
"Get the ball to Marcus! Move it quicker!" the Norwegian manager barked, frantically directing his players.
Solskjær placed immense trust in his 21-year-old forward, demanding the attack flow through him.
Moments later, the ball found Rashford on the left wing.
He immediately accelerated, driving at the Villa defense.
John McGinn, who had sprinted back to assist, tried to use his rugged physicality to body Rashford off the ball.
Rashford didn't give him the chance. With a lightning-fast flick of his right boot, he slipped the ball cleanly through McGinn's legs.
A filthy nutmeg.
The Stretford End erupted in applause, roaring their approval as Rashford burst toward the edge of the penalty arc.
However, the path ahead was blocked.
Anthony Martial was hovering near the box, but Conor Hourihane, Theodore Bjorn, and Douglas Luiz were converging rapidly.
Rashford recognized the trap, if he kept driving, he would be swallowed by the triple-team.
He checked his run and slipped a pass into Martial.
Martial received the ball with his back to goal. His first instinct was to spin and shoot, but Tyrone Mings was touch-tight.
The towering center-back grabbed handfuls of Martial's jersey, refusing to yield an inch.
Unable to turn, Martial laid the ball back into Rashford's path.
Without taking a touch, Rashford stepped into the pass and unleashed a ferocious strike.
The shot caught Tom Heaton slightly unsighted, ripping past the Villa keeper and burying itself in the net!
1-2.
Finally, the home side had breached the Villa defense.
The goal released a wave of pent-up emotion around Old Trafford.
Tens of thousands of fans chanted Rashford's name in a deafening chorus.
"A lifeline for Manchester United!" Peter Drury called. "In the 43rd minute, Rashford finds a way through!"
"Looking at the replay, the shot took a nasty deflection off a Villa defender," Beglin analyzed. "If it stays on its original trajectory, Heaton likely saves it. But United won't care; they are right back in this."
Rashford didn't celebrate.
He sprinted into the net, grabbed the ball, and jogged back to the center circle.
After the restart, Wesley immediately tapped the ball to Theodore.
Instantly, a red swarm descended. Fred, Andreas Pereira, and Jesse Lingard collapsed on the teenager in a coordinated, aggressive press.
Theodore remained cold.
With three men lunging in, he executed a flawless 360-degree roulette, spinning beautifully out of the suffocating pressure.
Emerging with the ball, he instantly launched a raking diagonal pass out to McGinn on the right flank.
Receiving the ball near the touchline, McGinn didn't swing a cross in.
Instead, he dropped his shoulder and drove aggressively into the United penalty area.
The direct run triggered panic in the United backline. Harry Maguire broke rank and rushed out to confront the Scotsman.
Just as Maguire arrived, McGinn smartly cut the ball back toward the edge of the box.
Boom!
Waiting at the top of the arc, unmarked, was Theodore Bjorn.
He didn't hesitate.
Stepping into the pass, he unleashed a venomous right-footed strike.
Juan Mata and Fred sprinted desperately to close him down, but their efforts were futile against the sheer velocity of the shot.
Boom!!
By the time they arrived, the ball was already tearing past David de Gea and bulging the netting.
Another pinpoint, devastating finish. De Gea's dive was hopelessly late!
1-3.
The scoreboard above the Stretford End ticked over once again.
"THEODORE BJORN AGAIN!" Peter Drury roared. "HE RESTORES THE TWO-GOAL CUSHION IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE!"
"A brace and an assist in the first half!" Jim Beglin marveled. "Aston Villa's transitions are lethal. United simply cannot handle him."
Theodore sprinted to the corner flag, throwing his signature left hook into the Manchester air. Absolute dominance.
Tucked away in the away section, the three thousand traveling Villa fans were in pure ecstasy.
Outnumbered but outsinging the home support, they roared Theodore's name until their throats were raw.
No player was more furious than David de Gea!
The Spanish keeper finally lost his composure. He stormed to the edge of his six-yard box, screaming at his midfield.
"What the fuck are you lot doing?! Wake up! Stop giving him space to shoot!" De Gea bellowed, throwing his arms up in despair.
On the touchline, Solskjær stood with his arms crossed, deep in a grim conversation with his assistant.
The first half was a disaster.
...
The whistle blew.
1-3 at the break.
Inside the home dressing room, the normally mild-mannered Solskjær unleashed a furious tirade.
He spent fourteen brutal minutes tearing into his squad's lack of discipline and effort, leaving barely a minute for tactical adjustments.
Manchester United emerged for the second half without any substitutions, but their tactical approach was noticeably more direct.
Mata received the ball near the center circle.
Facing pressure from Hourihane and Douglas Luiz, the Spaniard shifted his rhythm and played a slick, outside-of-the-foot pass to Lingard on the right wing.
Lingard had been a ghost in the first half, entirely anonymous.
But Solskjær clearly wanted him involved early in the second, hoping the winger could spark a revival.
The crowd roared in anticipation as Lingard collected the ball.
However, the moment he took a touch, Theodore Bjorn was instantly in his face, pressing aggressively.
Panic set in.
Desperate to move the ball, Lingard rushed his decision.
He played a blind, panicked pass straight into Theodore's path.
"Oh no, what has Jesse Lingard done there?!" Drury gasped. "He's passed it straight to the danger man!"
Before the words had fully left the commentator's mouth, Theodore reacted.
Boom!
He launched a pinpoint, perfectly weighted long pass directly over the top of the scrambling United defense.
Wesley was on his bike.
The Brazilian striker brought the ball down beautifully, finding himself isolated against Harry Maguire.
Wesley didn't hesitate. He drove straight at the United captain, knocking the ball heavily to Maguire's right and accelerating violently.
Maguire, lacking the recovery pace to match the striker, made a desperate, cynical grab for Wesley's shoulder, trying to haul him down and take the professional foul.
He was a fraction too late.
As Maguire's hands grabbed his shirt, Wesley shoot!
Boom!!
The powerful strike ripped past De Gea and nearly tore the net off the frame.
1-4.
"WESLEY MAKES IT FOUR!" Drury screamed. "ASTON VILLA ARE RUNNING RIOT AT THE THEATRE OF DREAMS!"
"An absolute disaster class from Manchester United," Beglin added, shaking his head. "A terrible error from Lingard, ruthlessly punished."
The 70,000 United fans sat in stunned, devastated silence.
The frustration boiled over, and a chorus of furious boos echoed around the stadium, aimed directly at their own players.
Watching his team disintegrate, Solskjær finally turned to his bench.