As the ball traced an arc toward Theodore Bjorn, Southampton's two center-backs, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens, converged to disrupt him.
The two defenders had a clear division of labor: Bednarek was tasked with engaging Theodore in a brutal, chest-to-chest physical confrontation, while Stephens used his hands to grip handfuls of Theodore's jersey, trying to anchor the teenager to the turf.
Southampton's backline would stop at nothing to prevent the header.
Despite the immense, coordinated effort, the results were futile.
Theodore overpowered them both.
Rising with terrifying force, he won the initial contact and snapped a devastating header toward the target.
The ball flashed past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and into the net.
2-0!
In a matter of minutes, the home side had struck twice.
The scorer, inevitably, was Theodore Bjorn!
The stands at Villa Park transformed into a sea of absolute joy. Tens of thousands of fans chanted their talisman's name.
Seated in the VIP box, Dongguo and Marianne proudly held up their phones, capturing the deafening atmosphere.
Conceding in such rapid succession left Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl looking shell-shocked on the touchline.
He was helpless.
He had no answer for Villa's tactical setup.
Before kickoff, Hasenhüttl could never have imagined that Dean Smith would deploy his star midfielder as a pure number nine.
After the restart, Southampton's attacks became simpler and more direct.
Under Hasenhüttl's frantic instructions, the team began funneling the ball out wide to deliver early crosses.
They were attempting to beat Aston Villa at their own game.
However, the glaring difference between the two sides was that Southampton's forward line lacked a cheat code like Theodore Bjorn.
Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and James Ward-Prowse showcased excellent passing range, whipping dangerous balls into the box.
Yet, Southampton's two forwards, Danny Ings and Shane Long, were completely smothered by Björn Engels and Kortney Hause.
The Saints' strikers simply couldn't win the aerial battles.
Tempered by a 17-match winning streak, Aston Villa had evolved into a remarkably mature, experienced unit.
Seeing Southampton push their numbers high up the pitch, Villa absorbed the pressure, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Theodore dropped deep into the midfield engine room to assist the defensive block.
In the 24th minute, working in tandem with Douglas Luiz, Theodore successfully dispossessed Højbjerg.
The moment the ball stuck to his boots, the transition was triggered.
Amidst the roaring anticipation of 40,000 fans, Theodore drove forward.
It wasn't that he didn't want to pick a pass, operating as the lone striker, there was simply no claret and blue shirt ahead of him.
He had to do it himself.
"Theodore Bjorn is driving forward!" Drury called from the broadcast booth.
"He is charging right at the heart of the Southampton defense!"
"Bednarek and Stephens are rushing out to meet him!"
Approaching the edge of the box, Theodore didn't break stride.
With a subtle, lightning-fast shift of his right boot, he slipped the ball cleanly through Jack Stephens' legs.
"A brilliant nutmeg!" Drury roared. "He leaves Stephens behind and breaks into the penalty area!"
Bypassing the defensive line, only Alex McCarthy stood between Theodore and a hat-trick.
Rather than staying glued to his line, the Southampton keeper rushed out, making himself big to close down the angle.
The moment McCarthy committed, Theodore executed the finish.
He dug his boot under the ball and delivered a delicate, arrogant chip.
The ball floated in a gentle arc, clearing the desperate grasp of the keeper, and bounced into the empty net!
3-0.
A first-half hat-trick!
"Pure class! A finish of the highest order," Gary Neville analyzed. "When Dean Smith moves him to the forward line, it creates a mismatch that defenses simply cannot handle."
Global social media erupted as the third goal went in.
@VillaFanTV: "A hat-trick in 24 minutes?! Playing as a striker?! He is not human."
@EPL_Scout: "That chip was disrespectful. Southampton are getting dismantled."
@HolteEnder: "Hasenhüttl is very quiet right now. Guess we are on a different level after all."
Down 3-0, the visiting side was on the verge of a total collapse.
Hasenhüttl deeply regretted his arrogant pre-match comments.
He had not only overestimated his own squad but had grossly underestimated the ruthless efficiency of Dean Smith's men.
Realizing that his team was bleeding goals, the Austrian manager made a desperate, humiliating tactical decision.
In the 30th minute of the first half, he made a substitution.
Center-back Maya Yoshida came on to replace the ineffective Shane Long. Taking off a striker for a defender half an hour into the match signaled a complete surrender.
With Yoshida on the pitch, Southampton shifted to a rigid 5-4-1.
Hasenhüttl abandoned all hope of a comeback; his only objective was to avoid a historic thrashing.
Theodore Bjorn, however, showed no mercy.
Just five minutes later, he struck again.
Aston Villa probed down the flanks. Jack Grealish, who traditionally operated on the left, had drifted over to the right side of the pitch.
In the 35th minute, McGinn slid a pass out to Grealish.
Two Southampton defenders immediately closed him down.
Rather than attempting to dribble past them on his weaker side, Grealish opted for an early delivery, whipping a classic 45-degree cross into the box with his right foot.
The cross curled toward the near post. Theodore's run was timed to absolute perfection.
A flawless combination.
Yoshida, having just entered the fray, tried to stick close to the teenager.
But the moment Theodore launched himself into the air, the sheer physical power of the jump sent Yoshida crashing to the turf.
The Japanese captain lost his balance entirely, unable to cope with the striker's elite physicality.
Thump!
Theodore met the ball with a thunderous header. It grazed the inside of the near post and rippled the net!
4-0.
A quadruple for the 18-year-old!
All suspense vanished from Villa Park. In the final ten minutes of the half, the onslaught continued.
In the 44th minute, Theodore turned provider, laying the ball off for Grealish to smash home.
5-0!
...
After the break, Dean Smith made no personnel changes, keeping his star-studded starting eleven on the pitch.
Despite the congested holiday schedule and the insurmountable lead, Smith wanted to test the limits of this tactical setup.
The goal-scoring potential of Theodore leading the line was terrifying, and the manager wanted to gather as much data as possible.
Ten minutes into the second half, Villa extended their lead.
This time, Theodore provided the assist.
McGinn clipped a pass into the penalty area.
Grealish made a penetrating run from the left flank.
At that exact moment, all three of Southampton's center-backs were entirely focused on Theodore, terrified of his aerial presence.
This hyper-fixation left the Villa captain completely unmarked.
Spotting Grealish's run out of the corner of his eye, Theodore won the initial header but didn't aim for goal.
He cushioned a perfect knockdown into Grealish's path.
With no defender near him, Grealish laced a composed finish past McCarthy.
6-0.
Only after securing the sixth goal did Dean Smith show mercy.
Theodore, McGinn, and Grealish were given standing ovations as they were substituted for younger academy prospects.
Aston Villa took their foot off the gas.
The departure of the core trio neutralized Villa's attacking threat. The final thirty minutes passed without incident.
The referee blew the final whistle. 6-0.
Aston Villa had secured their 18th consecutive victory, officially tying the all-time Premier League record set by Manchester City in 2017!
In the tunnel, reporter Laura Woods caught up with Ralph Hasenhüttl for a post-match interview.
"Ralph, you claimed yesterday that your team would end Villa's winning streak. Tonight, you lost 6-0, setting a record for the most goals you've conceded this season. What are your thoughts?"
The question was a blunt instrument rubbing salt in the wound. Hasenhüttl's expression darkened.
"I was wrong," he admitted coldly. "Villa is a phenomenal side. Their tempo is relentless, and they deserved this victory."
Laura pressed on. "One final question. Theodore Bjorn scored four goals and provided two assists tonight. Yesterday, you dismissed him as a threat. Have you changed your view?"
The Southampton manager refused to answer.
He let out a sharp exhale, turned his back on the camera, and marched into the away dressing room.
...
After showering, Theodore hurried out the west gate of Villa Park, meeting his parents who had arrived earlier in the evening.
Returning to his Birmingham home, the family gathered in the kitchen.
Xia Dongguo and Marianne Bjorn busied themselves chopping filling and rolling out wrappers.
Together, the family spent the evening wrapping traditional dumplings, celebrating Theodore's lunar birthday in the quiet comfort of his home.
While Theodore enjoyed his meal, the British sporting press went into meltdown.
Sky Sports: "Dean Smith's juggernaut equals the 18-game record! They host Norwich on Boxing Day with history on the line. A new Premier League dynasty is being forged."
Daily Mail: "Theodore Bjorn's birthday massacre! The 18-year-old Norwegian sensation creates six goals in a masterclass performance. He single-handedly destroyed Southampton."
The Guardian: "18 wins in a row. Operating as a striker tonight, Theodore Bjorn proved he is the ultimate footballing cheat code, bagging four goals in a historic first half."
...
The following morning, the skies over Birmingham were crisp and clear.
After dropping his parents off at the airport, Theodore headed straight to Bodymoor Heath.
Aston Villa's next fixture was a Boxing Day clash against Norwich City.
In their first encounter earlier in the season, Villa had dismantled the Canaries 4-0 at Carrow Road, with Theodore contributing a goal and two assists.
A victory today would mean 19 consecutive wins—shattering the all-time record.
To the footballing world, the result seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Villa sat at the summit of English football, while Norwich languished in 16th place, battling relegation.
The gap in class was massive!
...
December 26th. Boxing Day.
Villa Park was wrapped in festive decorations.
The atmosphere was electric, humming with the anticipation of witnessing history.
At 8:00 PM, the teams prepared to take the field.
Up in the premium VIP boxes, Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon Magnus chatted amiably with Aston Villa executives.
Beside him sat his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
She was Theodore Bjorn's most high-profile supporter!
The moment Theodore led the team out of the tunnel, the traditionally reserved Princess lost all royal composure, jumping to her feet and shouting his name at the top of her lungs.
Her excitement mirrored the energy of the entire stadium.
The referee blew his whistle.
The battle for the 19th consecutive victory officially kicked off!
---------
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