Harbinger Of Glory

The second half began without him and the broadcast noticed immediately.

"And one change for Wigan at the interval. Leo Calderon has not returned for the second half."

"That’s a significant absence," the co-commentator said.

"This is the first time Leo has been subbed off in a game since the start of the season. He hasn’t been himself today, and after that mistake for the equaliser, Dawson has decided not to take the risk."

Villa sensed the opportunity with Leo’s absence and pushed higher.

The home crowd responded to every tackle and every Wigan clearance, sensing that the visitors were suddenly without one of the players who had caused so many teams problems this season.

For the first ten minutes, Villa had Wigan pinned.

Then Ezra got the ball.

He received it near the left touchline, took one touch forward and accelerated.

A Villa midfielder moved across, but Ezra went right past him.

Carlo was already sprinting on the other side, and without difficulty, Ezra released the ball, switching play.

Carlo took it and drove forward before returning it into the space ahead of Ezra, and that movement pulled Villa apart.

One player followed Carlo, another stepped toward Ezra, and neither could do both.

"Again!"

Ezra was through once more, and Wigan suddenly had Villa running toward their own goal.

The home side’s attempt to exploit Leo’s absence had started working against them.

Every time Villa pushed another player forward, Wigan found space behind them.

One attack became another and then another.

The away supporters sensed the change and grew louder.

Leo watched from the bench, the jacket pulled tightly around him.

"Come on," he muttered, and eventually, it broke.

Ezra received the ball again near the left side of the penalty area, baiting Villa.

Digne, in reaction to that, moved across as Ezra slowed, but then with a quick stunt, he pushed the ball beyond him.

Digne lunged thinking he could get to the ball, but he got the human first as his foot caught Ezra’s leg.

Ezra went down, and without question, the whistle came immediately.

"PENALTY!"

The Wigan end erupted, and Villa players surrounded the referee at once.

"That’s not a foul!"

"He got the ball!"

Digne stood with both hands raised, arguing his case, but the referee wasn’t interested.

He pointed toward the spot, and it seemed nothing was going to change his mind.

"You alright?"

Ezra nodded as Carlo pulled him up.

"Yeah."

"Good."

Carlo slapped his back as Reyes picked up the ball.

He walked toward the penalty spot without saying a word.

Emiliano Martínez stood on his line, and the Villa goalkeeper began doing what he did best.

"Come on, then," he said, trying to get into the mind of Reyes.

"Put it down well. You aren’t trying to sell the game, are you, you two-faced dunce!"

Reyes placed the ball down, and Martínez continued.

He pointed toward one corner, then the other and then smiled.

He bounced from side to side, trying to make the moment uncomfortable, but Reyes barely looked at him.

The referee checked the players around the area and then raised his whistle as Reyes stepped back.

The whistle sounded, and without hesitating, Reyes ran forward.

Martínez committed, seemingly sure of his dive to his right, but Reyes waited and then lifted the ball straight down the middle.

A Panenka.

Martínez landed several feet away as the ball dropped into the net and in the next instant, the away end exploded again.

"REYES! WHAT A PENALTY!"

Reyes turned toward the goalkeeper.

He pointed at Martínez and then laughed.

Martínez got to his feet, and immediately, he walked toward him.

"Don’t do that."

Reyes kept smiling.

"What?"

"You know what."

Reyes waved the keeper off and then turned towards the Villa fans celebrating right in their faces, but Martínez shoved him, not being able to take it anymore.

Reyes went down, and immediately, the referee was there, shoving a yellow card right in front of Martínez’s face.

Reyes also got a yellow card, but it did nothing to appease the Villa goalkeeper, who turned away, still furious, while Wigan players helped Reyes back to his feet.

Dawson was shouting from the touchline.

"Leave it! Leave it!" he said as Reyes dusted himself off.

The game restarted, but then Villa were given another problem almost immediately.

James McClean, who had replaced Carlo, received the ball behind the Villa defence and was suddenly through on goal.

Martínez rushed from his area, making himself as big as he could, but then McClean touched the ball around him.

The goalkeeper realised he had been beaten and, in desperation, reached down; his hand caught the ball, but it was just outside the penalty area.

The whistle went, and once again, the Villa players froze.

McClean looked toward the referee, rising from his feet after Martinez’s hand also clipped him in the process.

The referee reached for his pocket and then pulled out a second yellow card, before showing the red card as Villa Park erupted.

Martínez stood there in disbelief.

"What?" he said, but the referee only pointed toward the tunnel.

Martínez walked toward him, protesting, but the referee simply pointed again.

Outside the box and a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.

On the touchline, Unai Emery was furious.

He had made a lot of substitutions, but now, he had to use the last one for something that could have been avoided.

The free kick was eventually taken, but it struck the wall and was cleared.

Still, the damage had been done.

Villa were down to ten men.

They still tried to attack, but Wigan no longer needed to chase the game.

They had the lead and a man advantage, and they used both intelligently.

They slowed things when Villa tried to increase the tempo.

They pressed whenever the home side attempted to build from the back, and every minute that disappeared made the result more likely.

Leo remained on the bench, watching the clock.

He wanted to be out there, but he was more glad that his team were on the verge of winning.

When the final whistle came, the Wigan players immediately turned toward their supporters who were already in a celebratory mood.

Ten wins, and all consecutive victories.

The players ran toward the corner, with Ezra disappearing beneath a pile of teammates and Reyes being grabbed from both sides.

Dawson stood near the touchline with his hands on his hips and tried to keep his expression serious, but his expression failed.

Leo stayed seated for another few seconds, and when he looked across at his teammates celebrating, he smiled.

"Ten wins from ten for Wigan Athletic," the co-commentator laughed on the broadcast.

"I genuinely don’t know what to say anymore."

"They keep finding a way," the commentator continued.

"They’ve had to deal with injuries, suspensions, difficult games, and today they lose Leo Calderon at half-time. They still come away from Villa Park with three points."

"And that’s the remarkable thing. Every week, somebody else seems to step up."

The commentator glanced down at his notes.

"But if anyone is going to find an answer to Wigan, the next opponent might be the one."

The co-commentator looked across at him.

"It’s Liverpool next on the road for Wigan!"

"Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool."

"That is going to be some game," the main commentator muttered as the broadcast camera settled on the Wigan players celebrating with the travelling supporters.

"It’s been a good game, but we have to leave you now. From Villa Park, it’s goodnight."