The ball landed perfectly at Will Hughes' feet.
The 24-year-old English midfielder, known for his crisp passing, found himself completely unmarked in the middle of the park.
Aston Villa players were backing off, failing to apply any pressure.
In the stands of Wembley Stadium, the Villa fans tensed up the moment they saw Hughes receive the ball with that much time and space.
Even Peter Drury leaned into his microphone with a sense of anticipation.
"Will Hughes," Drury noted, tracking the play. "He has time to pick his pass... and he finds Gerard Deulofeu out wide on the left."
On the flank, Deulofeu received the pass.
He didn't hesitate, suddenly executing a rapid double stepover before dropping his shoulder to cut inside.
Deulofeu's explosive acceleration far surpassed that of Jack Grealish, making his trademark inside cuts incredibly difficult to defend.
In an instant, the Spaniard shook off Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton and charged dangerously toward the edge of the penalty area.
At this critical moment, Villa's defensive midfielder, Mile Jedinak, stepped up to block his path, attempting to use his large frame to halt the breakthrough.
But Jedinak's turning speed was just too slow. With a deft, cheeky flick of his right foot, Deulofeu slipped the ball right through the Australian veteran's legs.
By the time Jedinak managed to turn around, Deulofeu was already winding up for a shot.
Boom!
The ball hurtled toward the Aston Villa goal with venom.
In this critical moment, goalkeeper Lovre Kalinić demonstrated his exceptional reflexes. Rooted to his line, he threw himself across the goalmouth, diving to his left to make a vital save.
With strong wrists, he parried Deulofeu's fierce drive out of bounds.
Corner kick to Watford.
"A brilliant save from Kalinić," Drury praised. "But you have to admire Watford's transitions. They are lightning-fast when they win the ball back. The Villa players are clearly struggling to keep up with the tempo of a Premier League side."
"Watford have a corner," co-commentator Gary Neville added. "Javi Gracia is urging his center-backs to push forward. It seems he's banking on this set piece to break the deadlock."
Soon, towering center-backs Craig Cathcart and Adrian Mariappa surged into the Aston Villa penalty area, jostling for position to contest the header.
Out at the corner flag, midfielder Roberto Pereyra stepped up to take the kick himself.
At Wembley, tens of thousands of Watford fans rose to their feet, their voices echoing around the famous arch as they chanted for a goal.
Pereyra whipped a dangerous, in-swinging delivery toward the center of the penalty area.
Cathcart timed his run perfectly, leaping high above the Aston Villa defenders and overpowering Tyrone Mings in the crucial aerial duel.
The Watford man had successfully secured a favorable position.
But just as Cathcart was about to snap his header down toward the net, a claret and blue figure suddenly appeared in front of him, preempting his attempt with a brave clearing header of his own.
"Cleared away by Theodore Bjorn!" Drury called out. "He reads the flight of the ball brilliantly and gets there just ahead of Cathcart."
"That's impressive from the youngster," Neville observed. "He's not known for his aerial presence, but he leaped exceptionally well there to clear the danger."
"Gary, do you think he could develop into a more complete, box-to-box midfielder in the future?" Drury asked.
"I think he's already showing signs of it, Peter," Neville replied. "And have you noticed? He actually looks a bit taller than he did a few months ago. He's still only 17, still growing. His official listed height is 183cm, but standing next to Mings, I'd estimate he's closer to 185cm now."
While the commentators discussed Theodore's physical development, Aston Villa immediately launched a counter-attack.
After Theodore cleared the ball from the danger zone, the second ball was gathered by Conor Hourihane.
Without hesitation, the Irish midfielder slipped a quick pass forward to Tammy Abraham.
A few seconds later, Abraham controlled the ball with his right foot.
Finding himself isolated, he didn't look to pass; instead, he put his head down and charged directly into the Watford penalty area, taking on the defense single-handedly.
Watford's center-backs, Cathcart and Mariappa, immediately scrambled back to confront him, setting up a tight double-team.
Throughout the match, Gracia's defense had clearly marked Abraham and Theodore as the key threats to neutralize.
Under heavy pressure from the two defenders, Abraham rushed his strike.
The shot sailed wide of the near post, failing to test Heurelho Gomes.
However, Aston Villa earned a corner kick; Abraham's shot had taken a slight deflection off a defender's outstretched leg on its way out.
"Aston Villa with a chance to respond from a corner," Drury noted. "Oh, and look at this. Theodore Bjorn isn't taking it this time. He's actually jogging into the penalty area to join the attack."
"Jack Grealish is walking over to take the corner," Neville added, sounding surprised. "It seems Dean Smith has recognized Bjorn's growing aerial threat and wants him in the mixer."
A few seconds later, Grealish raised his arm and delivered the corner kick.
The ball soared toward the near post.
And lurking right there, making a darting run across the face of the Watford goal, was Theodore!
Of course, Watford center-back Mariappa was right with him, tracking the run and attempting to disrupt him.
But it's worth noting that Mariappa stood only 180cm tall.
Standing beside the newly grown Theodore, the defender was at a distinct disadvantage.
In the ensuing aerial duel, Theodore undoubtedly emerged victorious.
Channeling the lingering effects of the Klinsmann Peak Card, he outjumped Mariappa, beating him to the first touch.
He snapped his neck muscles, powering a downward header toward the goal.
The ball skidded off the turf and grazed the inside of the near post as it flew into the net.
Gomes dove desperately to his right to make the save, but the header was just too fast and too well-placed.
The keeper's outstretched hands grasped at thin air!
"AND BJORN HEADS IT HOME!!!" Drury roared, his voice ringing through the stadium. "THE TEENAGER STRIKES AGAIN! ASTON VILLA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD AT WEMBLEY!"
"Unbelievable," Neville chuckled in disbelief. "Theodore Bjorn scores with a header. That is not something I expected to see today. Mariappa was completely outmatched in the air."
"Aston Villa leads Watford 3-1," Drury continued, catching his breath. "He's scored twice in this first half, and he's running the show on the grandest stage of them all."
After the header found the net, nearly every Aston Villa player swarmed Theodore in celebration by the corner flag.
Grealish, in particular, went wild, frantically ruffling the teenager's hair and shouting in his ear to express his overwhelming excitement.
Down on the touchline, Dean Smith finally let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.
The 3-1 scoreline had given his Championship side a firm grip on the cup final against their Premier League opponents.
In the stands, tens of thousands of Villa fans bounced in unison, chanting Theodore's name until their throats were raw!
Fans online flooded the timeline with celebratory comments.
[They say Theo's market value is around £60 million. After this performance, add another £20 million to that.]
[That header was so dominant. He bullied the fucking defender!]
[Watford's center-backs can't handle him in the air. What is going on?!]
[I wouldn't be surprised if Smith plays him as a false nine next season.]
[Theo is the ultimate cheat code. He's a textbook box-to-box midfielder now!]
[This final feels like it's already over. Villa's name is on the cup.]
The fans watching at home were already convinced the match had lost its suspense.
Down in the technical area, Javi Gracia was under immense pressure. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing angrily.
Despite thoroughly analyzing Aston Villa's match footage and Theodore's technical abilities during their meticulous pre-match preparations, Gracia and his coaching staff had completely overlooked the teenager's sudden, seemingly unstoppable aerial prowess.
"How is this possible?" Gracia muttered to his assistant coach, his voice tight with frustration. "How can a playmaker head the ball with that much power? Why hasn't he scored a header in any of his previous matches?"
The first half was nearing its end, with only five minutes remaining until the break.
The Watford players knew they needed to score before halftime.
If they could narrow the deficit to 3-2, they might still have a fighting chance in the second half.
Two minutes after the restart, Watford launched a full-scale, desperate attack.
Even defensive midfielder Étienne Capoue pushed high into the Aston Villa half to offer support.
After a rapid series of passes through the midfield, the ball eventually landed back at Deulofeu's feet on the left.
As Watford's most dangerous creative outlet, Deulofeu carried an immense burden. Aston Villa had already dropped deep, deploying a solid claret and blue defensive wall, with most of their players massed in their own third.
Watford had few passing options available, leaving the Spaniard to rely on his dribbling skills to try and break the lines.
But while Deulofeu possessed wonderful natural ability, he stood no chance against an organized, committed double-team, let alone the three Aston Villa players who quickly swarmed him.
Though he had once graced the pitch at Camp Nou, he was no Lionel Messi.
The moment he attempted to force his way inside, he took a heavy touch and lost control.
Aston Villa's defense pounced, clearing the ball high into the London sky with a booming clearance.
In the final five minutes of the half, the Watford players fought fiercely, but they couldn't breach Villa's ironclad defensive shape.
Ultimately, referee Kevin Friend blew his whistle to end the first half.
Aston Villa led Watford 3-1, heading into the dressing room largely thanks to Theodore's two headed goals and a crucial assist!