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Chapter 94 - Chapter 94 : Champions!

During the interval, Javi Gracia erupted in anger, delivering a scathing dressing-down to his players in the Watford locker room.

He issued a do-or-die order: they had to score within the first ten minutes of the second half to salvage the final.

To try and force the issue, Gracia made two aggressive substitutions at the break.

Isaac Success, wearing the number 10, came on to replace Capoue, who had struggled to impose himself.

Additionally, Andre Gray replaced Troy Deeney, the club captain, in a bid to inject more pace into the forward line.

Fifteen minutes later, the second half of the FA Cup final officially began.

It must be said that Watford showed an intense desire to get back into the game from the whistle.

In the 49th minute, the newly introduced Isaac Success received a pass from Hughes in the center circle and immediately launched a powerful solo run.

Success, a strong Nigerian forward, possessed exceptional physical strength and explosive pace.

But while his individual attributes were formidable, even the strongest runner can't defeat an entire defensive unit alone.

The moment he charged into the Aston Villa penalty area, three defenders converged on him, shutting down his angles.

With no space to break through or pick a pass, the Watford substitute chose to force a low shot.

The effort was firmly blocked by Mings, and the heavy rebound was controlled calmly by Theodore in midfield.

The moment Theodore picked up his head, the Villa end of Wembley erupted in deafening cheers, eagerly anticipating the teenager launching another attack to secure his hat-trick!

But instead of trying to add to his own goal tally, Theodore chose to increase his assist count.

Without taking a touch, he swept a gorgeous, first-time through ball over the top of the high Watford defensive line.

The pass was weighted perfectly, dropping into the path of Abraham and giving the striker a clear one-on-one opportunity against Gomes.

Inside the Watford penalty area, Abraham let the ball run across his body, controlling it with a soft touch before swiftly shifting it onto his right foot.

The sudden movement completely bypassed the rushing goalkeeper, leaving Gomes stranded.

Facing an empty net, Abraham calmly slotted the ball home!

"AND ABRAHAM MAKES IT FOUR!!!" Drury shouted, the excitement back in his voice. "A CLINICAL FINISH, AND ASTON VILLA ARE IN DREAMLAND AT WEMBLEY! IT'S 4-1!"

"That pass from Bjorn was just sublime," Neville noted. "He split the entire Watford defense open with one swing of his boot. Aston Villa have effectively sealed the FA Cup right there."

Undoubtedly, conceding a goal so early in the second half dealt a fatal blow to Watford's already fragile morale.

During halftime, Gracia had demanded a goal within the first ten minutes.

Contrary to his expectations, his team had not only failed to score but had been ripped open on the counter.

In the following minutes, the Watford players' body language plummeted.

Heads dropped, and shoulders slumped.

Ten minutes later, Aston Villa orchestrated a beautiful team move, securing their fifth goal to turn the final into a rout.

Theodore and McGinn aggressively double-teamed Pereyra in midfield, forcing a turnover.

McGinn immediately scooped the ball out to Grealish on the left wing.

Grealish drove at Femenía, but this time, he successfully bypassed the full-back with a drop of the shoulder and cut inside.

Opening up his body, Grealish executed a high-quality, curling strike.

The ball whipped around the diving Gomes and nestled beautifully into the top corner of the net!

The score now stood at a staggering 5-1.

Aston Villa had given their Premier League opponents an absolute beating on the grandest stage. After the fifth goal went in, the Watford players completely lost their composure.

They no longer harbored any thoughts of a comeback; their sole desire was for the referee to blow the final whistle and end their misery.

Down in the technical area, Javi Gracia slowly retreated to the bench, sitting down heavily and crossing his legs.

It was clear that both the manager and his players had abandoned all hope.

In the end, after ninety minutes of dominant, breathless football, Kevin Friend blew the final whistle.

Aston Villa had mercilessly thrashed Watford 5-1 at Wembley Stadium, securing the FA Cup title in historic fashion!

Combined with their earlier Championship victory, Dean Smith's Aston Villa had achieved an incredible Double!

The moment the final whistle blew, Aston Villa manager Dean Smith sprinted onto the pitch and pulled Theodore Bjorn into a massive hug.

Smith knew perfectly well that the young midfielder was the undeniable catalyst behind Aston Villa's historic Double triumph.

Especially in this FA Cup final, Theodore had almost single-handedly dismantled Watford.

Two goals, two assists—he had been directly involved in all four of Villa's open-play goals.

"Theo, you played brilliantly," Smith said, his voice thick with emotion over the roar of the crowd.

"You are the heartbeat of this team. It is an honor to coach a talent like you."

Smith showered the teenager with praise, but Theodore remained remarkably calm, offering a tired but genuine smile.

He knew that winning the Double was a massive milestone, but his ultimate ambitions reached even further.

Before they could speak further, the rest of the Aston Villa squad swarmed them.

Jack Grealish, limping but beaming, shoved Theodore playfully to the ground from behind.

Laughing, Grealish rallied the rest of the team, and they hoisted their young playmaker into the air, tossing him toward the Wembley sky.

Meanwhile, in the stands, the Villa faithful were chanting Theodore's name in a joyous frenzy!

Every supporter knew in their hearts that without his vision and composure, they would never have dispatched a Premier League side with such ease.

Up in the Sky Sports gantry, Peter Drury summarized the magnitude of the achievement.

"Congratulations to Theodore Bjorn, and congratulations to Aston Villa. Next season, Dean Smith's men will not only compete in the Premier League, but they will also embark on a European tour. By winning the FA Cup, they have officially qualified for the Europa League. What an incredible journey awaits them."

Soon after, the awards stage was rapidly assembled on the hallowed Wembley turf.

The first award presented was the FA Cup Golden Boot.

The recipient was Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham, who had netted a total of eight goals throughout the cup campaign.

Abraham was quick to acknowledge that at least half of those goals stemmed directly from attacks initiated by his teenage teammate.

Following the Golden Boot, the stadium announcer moved to the Player of the Tournament. As expected, the DJ called out Theodore Bjorn's name.

Despite featuring in only three FA Cup fixtures, he had recorded a staggering seven assists and two goals.

If anyone else had won the award, it would have been a genuine scandal.

The man presenting the trophy was Greg Dyke, the former chairman of the Football Association.

He embraced Theodore warmly, patting his shoulder with genuine admiration.

"Brilliantly played, young man," Dyke beamed. "I eagerly look forward to seeing you showcase your immense talent in the Premier League and the Europa League next season."

Theodore didn't offer a lengthy response, simply nodding respectfully to the official.

In truth, he understood the underlying context of the courtesy.

His rapid rise had caused FA Cup and Championship viewership to skyrocket across global and Asian markets.

Next season, his presence in the top flight would undoubtedly bring the Premier League a massive commercial windfall.

After accepting the award, Theodore immediately stepped down from the podium.

For him, the collective glory of the team far outweighed any individual accolade.

He just wanted to celebrate the victory with his brothers on the pitch.

Once the individual awards concluded, the presentation of medals to the runners-up began. The Watford players trudged up the steps to receive their silver medals.

Despite the 5-1 thrashing, the expressions on their faces revealed a deep, lingering resentment.

Both the players and their fans were bitterly disappointed and embarrassed by such a heavy defeat to a Championship side.

After standing on the podium for a brief, uncomfortable moment, the Watford squad quickly filed back down the stairs, eager to escape the spotlight.

Finishing as runners-up today was nothing to be proud of.

As the Watford players retreated down the tunnel, the stadium DJ began announcing the names of the Aston Villa squad.

The newly crowned FA Cup champions ascended the steps one by one to a deafening reception.

As the match's standout performer, Theodore, flanked by his teammates, was one of the first to step onto the podium.

The rest of the squad followed close behind, laughing and joking as they received their gold medals.

Team captain Jack Grealish was the last to arrive.

Just as he had done when they won the league title, Grealish accepted the trophy from the officials but refused to lift it alone.

He gestured for Theodore to join him at the center of the podium.

The moment Theodore and Grealish simultaneously hoisted the FA Cup trophy into the London night, the Aston Villa end of Wembley erupted into wild, unrestrained celebration.

Silver and blue confetti rained down from the rafters, creating a breathtaking spectacle under the stadium lights!

Each player took their turn posing for photos with the famous old trophy, while Theodore walked toward the edge of the pitch to interact with the traveling support.

He understood that a team could never achieve true greatness without the unwavering loyalty of its fans.

Gesturing to the stadium staff, Theodore brought the trophy right to the edge of the Aston Villa section, lifting it up so the photographers could capture the fans in the background sharing the moment.

This simple gesture sent the supporters into a frenzy, and the entire stand erupted into hysterical, echoing chants of his name!

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Theodore Bjorn's name soared straight to the number one global trending topic.

Beyond that, the second to fifth trends were all dominated by Aston Villa's historic FA Cup triumph.

On the Sky Sports official Twitter account, the video clip of Theodore's crucial goal and celebration had already garnered millions of views and countless interactions.

The replies were flooded with praise from fans all over the world!

[Theodore Bjorn is incredible. He's writing history right before our eyes.] - 28k likes

[I'm so jealous of the Villa fans at Wembley today. I have to see this kid play live at least once in my life.] - 8k likes

[At just 17, he's already secured the FA Cup and the Championship title. His potential is truly limitless.] - 4k likes

[As a seasoned fan who's been watching football for twenty years, I have to admit he is the most naturally gifted teenager I've ever seen.] - 16k likes

[The youngest FA Cup MVP in history. His name is Theodore Bjorn, and he is going straight to the very top!] - 27k likes

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PREMIER LEAGUE NEXT!

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