The aftermath of Aston Villa's stunning 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur dominated the English sporting headlines.
The national media outlets dedicated pages of coverage to the opening-day thriller, completely captivated by the storyline unfolding in Birmingham.
Daily Mail: "Premier League's First Massive Upset! Newly Promoted Villa Stun Champions League Finalists Tottenham in Seven-Goal Thriller!"
Sky Sports: "The Teenage King of Villa Park. Seventeen-year-old Theodore Bjorn announces his arrival in the top flight with a devastating brace and an assist to sink Spurs."
The Times: "A North London Collapse. Pochettino's men, boasting Son, Eriksen, and Kane, fall apart against Dean Smith's fearless Villa. Theodore Bjorn etches his name into the Premier League consciousness after just ninety minutes."
Birmingham Mail: "Up the Villa! Dean Smith's men secure a dramatic late victory to mark their Premier League return in spectacular fashion."
The Guardian: "The most thrilling clash of the opening weekend undoubtedly belonged to Aston Villa and Tottenham. Billed as an Asian heavyweight duel between South Korea's Son Heung-min and China-Norway's Theodore Bjorn, the seventeen-year-old prodigy walked away with the crown, securing the victory with a performance beyond his years."
Online, the global football community was in absolute overdrive dissecting Theodore's debut.
@HolteEnder99: Our number 33 was absolutely flawless. The kid plays like a veteran gladiator. Eighty-ninth minute and he was still sprinting back to pocket Son!
@EPL_Analyst: Hard to believe the player who single-handedly dismantled the Spurs midfield is only seventeen. Backing up his Championship Player of the Season award immediately.
@VillaTillIDie: Remember when the press mocked him yesterday for saying we'd challenge for the top four? Nobody is laughing this morning. The kid is a prophet!
@SpursHub: Sickening result, but you have to respect the talent. That Bjorn kid is a generational midfield maestro. Gutted he's not in a Spurs shirt tho.
@TransferGuru: Rumors were that City and Liverpool tabled massive bids for Bjorn this summer, but Villa designated him untouchable. After today, his price tag just doubled!
...
The shockwaves extended far beyond England.
Across social media platforms in Asia, Theodore's name occupied every top trending spot.
The rivalry narrative between the established superstar Son Heung-min and the rising prodigy sparked fierce debate across South Korean and Chinese sports forums.
"Spurs bottled it."
"Son was brilliant, but the defense let him down."
"He didn't lose to the kid, Pochettino lost to Dean Smith!"
"Absolutely humiliating for Tottenham. To lose to a promoted side on day one is a disgrace."
"You have to admit, the Villa kid is the real deal. Two goals against Lloris is no joke."
...
Long after the media storm began, Theodore boarded the team bus to head back to Birmingham.
His phone was flooded with congratulatory texts from friends and family.
Messages from Reba, and even a brief text from the Norwegian royal family filled his screen.
Theodore politely tapped out his gratitude to each of them as the bus rolled through the dark motorway.
By the time they pulled into the Bodymoor Heath training ground, it was past two in the morning.
Exhausted from the grueling physical demands of the match, the squad quietly exchanged goodnights and dispersed.
Theodore didn't head to the club dormitories.
He finally had a place of his own.
Just two days before the Spurs match, Jonathan had finalized the paperwork on a sprawling property located a few miles from the training ground.
The three-story modern villa featured a private swimming pool, a fully equipped gym, and a pristine five-a-side football pitch in the backyard.
It also included around-the-clock security and a housekeeper to manage the massive space.
The property was valued at five million euros, but the previous owner—a diehard Aston Villa season ticket holder completely enamored with Theodore's performances—had happily slashed half a million off the asking price.
Theodore unlocked the front door and dropped his bags.
The house was incredible, but standing alone in the massive foyer, the silence was deafening. He had originally begged his parents to move to England with him, but Dongguo and Marianne had stubbornly refused to abandon their restaurant in Oslo.
With no other option, Theodore resigned himself to the quiet, solitary life of a professional athlete.
...
The next morning.
At eight o'clock sharp, Jack Grealish swaggered onto the Bodymoor Heath training pitches clutching a rolled-up copy of the Manchester Evening News.
He shoved it directly into Theodore's chest, grinning from ear to ear.
"Theo, mate, you have officially arrived," Grealish laughed. "Look at what they're writing about you!"
Theodore glanced at the headline.
"They're calling you a hybrid of Pirlo and Lampard," Grealish continued, buzzing with energy. "They're predicting you'll dictate world football for the next fifteen years. They've even grouped you with Modrić, Pogba, and De Bruyne as the 'Four Great Midfielders' in Europe right now!"
Theodore didn't take the paper.
He adjusted his training bib and offered a deadpan shrug. "The press lives for overreactions, Jack. Their words don't mean anything."
"Come off it," Grealish scoffed.
"I'm serious," Theodore replied coolly. "If I drop a disasterclass next week, those same reporters will print that I'm the biggest midfield flop in Premier League history."
Grealish let out a barking laugh, shaking his head. "God, you're a miserable bastard sometimes. But you're right. They love building you up just to tear you down."
Shortly after, the coaching staff marched out onto the grass.
Dean Smith gathered the squad in a tight circle before initiating the recovery session.
"Lads, yesterday was monumental," Smith began, his voice commanding absolute focus. "We went to a Champions League finalist's backyard and took three points. But the Premier League is a marathon, not a sprint. We cannot afford a hangover. We have to maintain that exact same hunger."
Smith paced the circle. "Next week, we are back at Villa Park for our home opener. Bournemouth. They finished fourteenth last year. They are a gritty, hard-working side fighting for their lives in this division. I want pure focus this week. We step onto that pitch next Saturday in peak condition. Let's get to work."
...
August 17, 2019.
At half-past seven in the evening, the atmosphere around Villa Park was absolutely electric.
It was Matchday Two of the Premier League season, marking Aston Villa's triumphant return to top-flight football on their home turf.
Tens of thousands of claret and blue supporters flooded the turnstiles, creating a sea of noise.
Online, the anticipation was equally massive.
Global streaming platforms were buckling under the weight of hundreds of thousands of fans tuning in to watch the teenager who had dismantled Tottenham.
@EPL_Scout: Bournemouth are a solid, well-drilled side. Not as flashy as Spurs, but Eddie Howe organizes them perfectly. This won't be a walk in the park.
@VillaTillIDie: We sat back and countered against Spurs. Tonight, we have the ball. Let's see if we can break a low block.
@NorwegianReds: It all comes down to Theo. If he controls the tempo like he did in London, Bournemouth have no chance.
Deep inside the bowels of Villa Park, the players began lining up in the tunnel.
Theodore stood near the back of the line, keeping his legs loose.
"Theo."
Theodore turned to see Joshua King, Bournemouth's starting striker and a regular in the Norwegian national team setup walking over to him.
"Josh," Theodore nodded, shaking his international teammate's hand.
"Hell of a debut last week," King said, though his smile carried a competitive edge. "Let's both leave it all out there tonight."
"We will," Theodore replied smoothly. "But the points are staying in Birmingham tonight. First home game back in the Prem, we aren't dropping this one."
King chuckled, shaking his head. "You might be in for a rude awakening, mate. Eddie's got us drilled. Our midfield's entire job tonight is to suffocate you. You won't get a second on the ball."
Theodore's expression didn't change. "Good. Let's see if they have the lungs for it."
At twenty past seven, referee Martin Atkinson picked up the match ball and led the two sides out of the tunnel.
The moment Theodore stepped onto the immaculate grass of Villa Park, the stadium erupted!
Over forty thousand Holte Enders rose to their feet, letting out a deafening unified roar of his name!
It was a visceral, overwhelming wall of noise.
After his heroics in London, he was entirely cemented as the undisputed king of Villa Park.
Theodore, usually stoic, couldn't help but look up into the stands and raise both hands in applause, acknowledging the staggering support.
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