After kickoff, the Aston Villa players showed immense excitement.
None more so than Theodore Bjorn.
In today's match, Dean Smith had tweaked the system once again. After deploying Theodore as a pure striker against Southampton, he restored the teenager to his natural habitat: the midfield engine room.
This was his domain, the position where he could dictate the entire flow of the match.
Just three minutes in, Theodore stamped his authority.
He executed a clean, intelligent tackle in midfield, stripping the ball from Norwich attacking midfielder Kenny McLean.
As Theodore looked up, preparing to showcase his expansive passing range, several yellow shirts swarmed him.
Norwich manager Daniel Farke was no fool.
Having managed against Villa in the Championship, he was acutely aware of the threat Theodore posed.
Farke had given explicit instructions to his double pivot, Tom Trybull and Alexander Tettey.
Their sole objective for the evening was to monitor Theodore Bjorn.
The moment the teenager received possession, they were to press aggressively and halt his advance by any means necessary.
They were disciplined as the trap snapped shut instantly.
Trybull lunged into a reckless sliding tackle, aiming to take man and ball, while Tettey positioned himself to deliver a heavy, physical block.
In this critical, suffocating moment, Theodore remained exceptionally composed.
With an incredibly delicate flick of his right foot, he lifted the ball directly over Trybull's sliding leg.
Simultaneously, Theodore braced himself and dropped his shoulder, actively initiating the collision with the incoming Tettey.
The Norwich midfielder was no match for the teenager's sheer physical power. Tettey bounced off him, losing his balance completely.
With minimal fuss, Theodore had shattered the double-team.
"Brilliant footwork from Theodore Bjorn!" Ian Darke exclaimed in the broadcast booth. "He makes escaping a double-team look completely effortless."
"He's got the intelligence of a veteran and the physicality of a seasoned pro, all at eighteen," Stewart Robson added. "Those two Norwich midfielders never stood a chance."
On global social media, the reaction was immediate.
@VillaFanTV: "Theo is just toying with them. It's like watching a man against boys."
@EPL_Scout: "Escaping a high-pressure double-team with a flick and a shoulder barge. Elite."
Having bypassed the pressure, the pitch opened up.
Right winger Anwar El Ghazi and central striker Wesley were already making penetrating runs into the penalty area, dragging the two Norwich center-backs, Grant Hanley and Christoph Zimmermann, with them.
Jack Grealish had drifted inside from the left to offer support.
Crucially, there was no Norwich player left to apply pressure on the ball carrier.
Recognizing the vast, undefended space ahead of him, Theodore didn't pass.
He stepped into the space just outside the penalty arc and unleashed a shot!
Boom!!
He struck the ball with devastating power. It flew like a lightning bolt, ripping past Tim Krul and crashing into the back of the net.
1-0!
In the 4th minute, Aston Villa had taken the lead!
"What a strike! Theodore Bjorn opens the scoring!" Darke roared. "Just four minutes in, and the league leaders are already flying."
"It seems breaking that 18-game consecutive win record tonight is an absolute certainty," Robson noted. "Norwich are already looking completely out of their depth."
Following the goal, Daniel Farke immediately adjusted his tactics from the touchline.
He abandoned the aggressive press. Farke instructed his players to drop into a rigid, low block and focus entirely on defense.
He anticipated that conceding so early would encourage Villa to launch a relentless assault, and he wanted his team to prioritize damage limitation before considering any counter-attacks.
As Farke anticipated, Aston Villa didn't slow down.
Wesley, Grealish, and El Ghazi initiated a suffocating high press, trapping Norwich deep in their own half.
Within a minute of the restart, Villa had regained possession.
The visitors had no choice but to retreat further, packing the midfield and edge of their own box with bodies.
For nearly ten minutes, Villa monopolized possession but failed to create a clear sight of goal.
The low block was frustratingly effective.
This wasn't the scenario Dean Smith wanted. While they held the lead, 1-0 was precarious.
He wanted a multi-goal cushion to secure the record.
But Norwich's defensive discipline held firm. Every player in yellow worked tirelessly to close down space and block passing lanes.
The match drifted toward the 30-minute mark. After half an hour of relentless, unrewarded attacking, the intensity of Villa's play naturally dipped.
They began to circulate the ball slower, catching their breath.
This drop in tempo offered Norwich a lifeline.
In the 33rd minute, they sprang the trap.
McLean and winger Emiliano Buendía suddenly surged forward, executing a coordinated press on Marvelous Nakamba.
Caught isolated from his teammates, the Villa defensive midfielder had no immediate passing options.
Under pressure, he lost possession.
Norwich launched a rapid counter-attack.
McLean instantly threaded a pass to striker Teemu Pukki.
The Finnish forward burst forward. Despite the Villa defenders scrambling to recover, they were a step too slow.
Pukki unleashed a clinical shot that beat Tom Heaton and found the bottom corner!
1-1.
"Pukki scores!" Darke announced, genuine shock in his voice. "Aston Villa 1, Norwich City 1!"
"It is truly unbelievable. The 16th-placed team has come to Villa Park and equalized against the league leaders!"
"Could Norwich be the team to derail the record?"
@HolteEnder: "How did we just concede to Norwich?!"
@BrummieBoy: "That counter-attack was way too easy. Wake up!"
@UTV_Always: "We got arrogant and sloppy. Let's show them what we're made of now."
After the restart, Aston Villa woke up.
Theodore Bjorn took control.
In the 35th minute, receiving the ball under pressure from several Norwich midfielders, Theodore didn't look for his trademark long ball over the top.
Instead, he threaded a lethal, disguised through pass.
The ball sliced like a scalpel between Trybull and Tettey.
It bypassed the midfield entirely, arriving perfectly in the channel between the penalty area and the left flank.
Jack Grealish was already making the run.
"Grealish is in!" Darke called. "What a pass from Theodore Bjorn!"
"We're used to the long diagonals, but that through ball was razor-sharp," Robson added.
Grealish drove into the box. Instead of shooting, he feinted and cut the ball back to the penalty spot.
Wesley was waiting.
Without hesitation, the Brazilian striker unleashed his shot.
But Norwich had flooded the central area.
The moment Wesley shot, both Hanley and Zimmermann threw themselves in front of the ball, executing a desperate double block.
The golden opportunity was denied.
The rebound fell kindly for McLean. Once again, the Norwich counter-attack was on!
A hush fell over Villa Park.
The home fans watched nervously as McLean drove forward.
McLean didn't overcomplicate it. He played a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass, perfectly finding Buendía on the right flank.
The Argentine winger received the ball and immediately chopped inside, completely wrong-footing Matt Targett.
Buendía burst into the space at the top of the penalty arc.
He had a clear sight of goal. Glancing up at Heaton, he unleashed a powerful curling shot.
The speed and placement were perfect and the ball nestled into the absolute top corner!
1-2.
In a matter of minutes, Norwich had scored twice, completely turning the match on its head!
Over forty thousand fans at Villa Park sat in stunned silence.
Disbelief washed over the stadium.
Before kickoff, this was supposed to be a coronation—a guaranteed victory to seal a historic 19-game winning streak.
Now, the league leaders were trailing a relegation candidate at home.
Villa launched a furious assault for the remainder of the half.
Theodore, McGinn, and Grealish all peppered the Norwich goal with shots, but none could find an equalizer.
The halftime whistle blew. Aston Villa trailed 1-2.
...
During the break, the sporting press had a field day.
Sky Sports: "Upset on the Cards? Villa Trail 1-2 at Home to Norwich!"
The Times: "The Streak in Jeopardy! Relegation-Battling Norwich Stun Villa Park."
The Guardian: "70% Possession, But Villa Fall Behind. Can Theodore Bjorn Save the Record?"
Online, the fanbase was in meltdown.
@VillaFanTV: "That was an awful half of football. Defensively embarrassing."
@EPL_Scout: "Dean Smith has to change something. Norwich are soaking it up and killing them on the break."
@HolteEnder: "I'd rather lose to City or Liverpool than blow the record against Norwich. Wake up!"
@FootballNerd: "Don't panic yet. We still have Theo! He'll find a way surely."
Inside the dressing room, Dean Smith was animated.
"Give the ball to Theodore!" Smith instructed. "Find him in space. Let him dictate, let him shoot from distance. And get the ball wide, stretch their low block, force the corners."
Smith's tactical adjustment was entirely focused on maximizing his star player's influence.
...
Fifteen minutes later, the second half began.
Up in the VIP box, Princess Ingrid closed her eyes, silently hoping for a response from her favorite player.
Five minutes into the half, her prayers were answered.
Receiving a short pass from Grealish in midfield, Theodore was instantly pressured by three Norwich players.
He didn't panic.
He utilized a breathtaking sequence of feints, shifting his body weight and the ball with surgical precision.
He danced through the triple-team, leaving the defenders scrambling.
Bursting free, he drove forcefully into the penalty area.
Two Norwich center-backs rushed out to confront him, but they were too late.
Theodore had already set his feet.
Boom!!
He unleashed a ferocious strike.
The ball flew into the net like a rocket, beating Krul with sheer pace and pinpoint accuracy.
2-2!
"HE SCORES!" Darke roared.
"Aston Villa are back level! Theodore Bjorn takes matters into his own hands!"
"A phenomenal solo effort," Robson praised. "He just willed that goal into existence. The record is back on!"
On the touchline, Daniel Farke kicked the turf in frustration.