Olivier Giroud, having just entered the fray, was relatively fresh.
The imposing French striker immediately made his presence felt, using his massive frame to pin Tyrone Mings near the penalty spot.
As Willian's cross whipped into the box, Giroud expertly outmuscled Mings, rising to connect with a glancing header.
The ball flashed agonizingly wide of the post.
Although Giroud's header didn't find the target, his introduction undeniably gave Chelsea's attack a traditional, menacing focal point.
Giroud wasn't just a goal threat, his elite hold-up play could create space and opportunities for the runners around him.
If Aston Villa intended to protect their slender lead until the final whistle, Dean Smith needed an answer for the Frenchman.
The answer was Theodore Bjorn.
Within the current Villa squad, Theodore possessed the highest Heading attribute, naturally making him the ideal candidate to neutralize Giroud's aerial dominance.
And so, for the final ten minutes of the match, the Premier League's top scorer and assist leader dropped out of the midfield engine room and slotted directly into his own penalty area, effectively operating as an emergency center-back.
While Giroud was fresh off the bench, Theodore's stamina was absolute perfection.
Having just maxed out the attribute before kickoff, Theodore was an untiring engine.
Over those grueling final ten minutes, Chelsea repeatedly pumped the ball into the box.
Theodore and Giroud engaged in a total of eight punishing aerial duels.
Theodore won exactly eight of them.
In every single confrontation, the teenager out-leaped and out-powered the veteran World Cup winner.
Chelsea's desperate late bombardments were repelled time and time again.
The final whistle blew.
Chelsea could not produce a miracle.
They fell 3-4 to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge!
Theodore Bjorn was the undisputed star of the night. He had a direct hand in all four goals—scoring a hat-trick and providing the assist for the other.
He had single-handedly dragged his team to victory in West London!
...
After the match, Tammy Abraham sought out Theodore on the pitch.
"Theo, I'm truly impressed," Abraham said, shaking his head. "Villa feels like a completely different animal compared to last season."
"What's different?" Theodore asked.
Abraham thought for a moment before smiling. "You guys have the aura of champions. You expect to win everywhere you go."
Theodore nodded, acknowledging the truth in the statement.
The two exchanged jerseys before heading down the tunnel.
During the post-match press conference, Frank Lampard fielded questions about the teenager's performance.
The Chelsea legend transformed into a PR machine for the young Norwegian.
"He is the most talented midfielder I have ever seen," Lampard stated emphatically. "I've heard the media call him the 'next Frank Lampard.' Honestly, that flatters me. I was never at his level when I was playing, certainly not at seventeen."
Lampard leaned into the microphone. "He is a generational talent. He won't just be great, he will define an era. I truly believe he is the player who will finally end the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly."
...
The English press went into overdrive following Villa's 15th consecutive win.
Sky Sports: "Dean Smith's men are rewriting history! They conquer another 'Big Six' rival. Fifteen consecutive wins! We are witnessing a dynasty in the making."
The Times: "Aston Villa edge a 4-3 thriller at the Bridge. They complete their first-half fixtures against the 'Big Six' with a perfect six wins out of six."
The Guardian: "The teenage sensation bags another hat-trick! A midfielder leading the Premier League Golden Boot race—it defies logic."
London Daily: "Lampard declares Theodore Bjorn the heir to Messi and Ronaldo! The 17-year-old has officially entered the highest echelon of world football!"
Following the Chelsea match, Theodore didn't return to Birmingham with the squad.
Instead, he headed straight for the airport, boarding a flight to Oslo.
In three days, Norway would host Spain in a pivotal Euro 2020 qualifier.
Currently, Norway sat atop their group, six points clear of second-placed Spain.
A victory in Oslo would guarantee Norway's qualification for the main tournament as group winners, with three games to spare.
...
The next day.
At the Ullevaal Stadion, the Norwegian national team gathered for their first training session.
Theodore slotted seamlessly back into the dynamic trio alongside Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland.
"Theo, I watched the Chelsea game! You were unreal!" Ødegaard greeted him warmly.
"Yeah, man," Haaland chimed in, grinning. "Do you realize you're the hottest property in Europe right now? Every massive club is tracking you."
Theodore shrugged, lacing up his boots. "I don't care about the rumors. I just care about the next match."
Both Haaland and Ødegaard chuckled, offering him a thumbs-up.
"By the way, Erling," Theodore said casually, "I hear you're packing your bags for Dortmund?"
Haaland's eyes went wide.
He clapped a hand over his mouth, looking around nervously. "Theo, how do you know that?! I signed an NDA with them!"
"My agent mentioned it," Theodore lied smoothly.
"What?" Haaland looked genuinely shocked.
"Transfer news moves fast among the top agents, Erling. It's an open secret in those circles," Theodore added, keeping a straight face.
"Well... since you know," Haaland leaned in, suddenly serious. "Do you think Dortmund is the right step for me?"
"It's a great fit," Theodore replied. "You'll tear up the Bundesliga. Score a bunch of goals there, and then you'll get your move to the Premier League. Join a real giant."
Haaland's face lit up.
"A giant? You mean like Aston Villa?" he joked.
"No," Theodore replied deadpan. "Manchester City."
Haaland scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Impossible. City would never sign a striker like me. I'm the wrong player for Pep Guardiola's system."
...
During the tactical sessions, Norwegian head coach Lars Lagerbäck focused entirely on defensive counter-attacks.
Spain's identity was built on suffocating possession.
Lagerbäck knew that if Norway attempted to play an expansive, open game against the Spanish midfield, they would be ruthlessly dissected.
A disciplined, low-block counter-attack was the only pragmatic approach.
Match day.
The Ullevaal Stadion was a sea of red and blue.
For the Norwegian supporters, the chance to watch their golden generation—Theodore, Haaland, and Ødegaard—play live was a privilege.
At 8:00 PM, the teams walked out onto the pitch.
The referee blew the whistle, and the battle commenced.
True to Lagerbäck's instructions, Norway immediately dropped into a rigid, compact defensive shape in their own half.
It was a team effort, even Haaland dropped deep to close passing lanes.
This parked bus frustrated the Spanish side.
For the opening ten minutes, the visitors probed endlessly, circulating the ball horizontally across the midfield, unable to find a penetrating pass.
In the 13th minute, Spain tried to force the issue.
Receiving a pass from Fabián Ruiz, Sergio Busquets spotted a rare gap and chipped a delicate ball into the channel between the Norwegian center-back and full-back.
Mikel Oyarzabal had timed his run perfectly, arriving right at the drop zone.
It was Spain's first genuine opening.
However, as soon as the Spanish forward tried to bring the ball under control inside the penalty area, the Norwegian trap sprang.
Two defenders collapsed on him instantly, crowding him out and stripping him of possession.
Norway broke instantly.
Center-back Kristoffer Ajer launched a booming clearance up the pitch, aiming for Haaland.
Using his sheer mass, Haaland pinned Raúl Albiol, brought the ball down, and forcefully spun his man.
Once Haaland gathered momentum, the Spanish defense was in serious trouble.
Fortunately for Spain, their captain, Sergio Ramos, sprinted across to cover.
Reading the danger, Ramos executed a crunching, perfectly timed sliding tackle, taking ball and man out over the touchline.
The Spanish squad was clearly in a transitional phase.
Their starting lineup reflected a team that was slowly slipping from their era of absolute European dominance.
Five minutes later, Spain tried again.
Once again, Busquets was the architect. The veteran midfielder slipped a clever through ball into the path of Rodrigo.
The striker got a shot away, but it lacked power and was comfortably gathered by the Norwegian goalkeeper.
Instantly, the keeper rolled the ball out to Theodore Bjorn.
The Ullevaal Stadion rose to its feet as one.
A deafening roar echoed around the arena as the fans chanted his name.
Up front, Haaland put his head down and initiated a dead sprint.
Theodore didn't immediately launch a long ball to the striker.
He had assessed the field: Sergio Ramos was closely tracking Haaland alongside Albiol.
A direct pass into that double-team would likely result in a turnover.
Theodore decided to carry the ball himself.
He drove out of his own half. Instantly, the Spanish midfield recognized the threat and converged.
Saúl Ñíguez and Sergio Busquets stepped up to close him down.
Just as the two Spaniards committed to the challenge, Theodore executed a breathtaking, high-speed Marseille turn.
Dragging the ball back with his left foot and spinning 360 degrees, he glided effortlessly between the two bewildered midfielders.
Three seconds later, Theodore arrived at the edge of the Spanish penalty area.
Fabián Ruiz was the last line of midfield defense, but he was caught on his heels, two meters away and unable to close the distance in time.
Theodore didn't need an invitation. He opened his body and unleashed a ferocious strike.
The ball exploded off his boot, tracing a terrifying, dipping trajectory toward the Spanish net.
Standing between the posts was Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Just a few days prior, Theodore had broken the Chelsea keeper's heart in the Premier League.
Now, the nightmare repeated itself on the international stage.
Boom!!
Theodore's long-range missile tore past Kepa, burying itself in the back of the net.
1-0!
Theodore Bjorn had given Norway the lead!
Haaland, Ødegaard, and the rest of the Norwegian squad sprinted over, mobbing the teenager in celebration.
The Ullevaal Stadion erupted into absolute pandemonium.
Over fifty thousand fans chanted Theodore's name until the stadium shook.
After the restart, a wounded Spain pushed higher up the pitch.
However, this iteration of the Spanish national team lacked a singular, game-changing superstar.
They relied entirely on intricate passing combinations to break teams down.
Norway simply reinforced their defensive block, absorbing the sterile possession and offering Spain zero clear sights of goal.
Instead, just before the halftime whistle, Norway struck again—this time, sparked by Theodore's defensive intelligence.
Having spent the half analyzing Spain's build-up, Theodore noticed they constantly funneled the ball through Busquets to dictate the tempo.
Theodore subtly adjusted his positioning, lingering just behind the Spanish metronome, waiting to pounce.
In the 43rd minute, the trap was sprung.
Under pressure, Saúl played a routine pass inside toward Busquets.
Just as the ball arrived, Theodore lunged forward, cleanly intercepting the pass before Busquets could even take a touch.
Without breaking stride, Theodore looked up and launched a devastating, laser-guided long pass over the top.
Haaland was already on his bike.
With Sergio Ramos caught high up the pitch, Haaland found himself isolated against Raúl Albiol.
In a pure footrace and physical battle, the veteran Spanish defender stood absolutely no chance against the Norwegian cyborg.