Harbinger Of Glory

Liverpool pushed higher after Gakpo’s introduction.

More players moved forward, and the press came with greater urgency.

Wigan were suddenly being forced backwards.

Klopp, seeing Leo’s presence in the game increasing more and more, tried to curb it by having his players deny the passing lanes into him, but it was like tucking a small piece of clothing over your body.

Whenever they tried to cover Leo, space opened somewhere else.

After some minutes without the ball, Femi Seriki eventually found him in the middle.

Leo took one touch, slightly inviting pressure from Harvey Elliot and then played it into Reyes.

The Portuguese player took it and spun around, looking to do damage once more, but he had only gone so far when Gravenberch stepped across and intercepted.

The Dutch midfielder swept across the form of Reyes, causing the latter to stumble, but before he could claim the ball, Leo, who had followed his earlier pass, reached the loose ball.

The Liverpool players all around reacted immediately, the chance to turn a challenge into attack looming right before their eyes, causing them to turn towards Leo, but before they could reach him, Leo sent a long ball over the top, setting another foot race between Carlo and Trent.

The winger brought it down eventually, cutting into the box and then tried to cut back for Ezra, who was arriving.

It was a dangerous chance unfolding, and so when Robertson saw it, he didn’t hesitate to slide across in his attempt to stop the effort, but unfortunately for him, his challenge caught Ezra.

The Wigan winger found himself on the grass a second later, and immediately, the referee’s whistle went.

”Oh, Penalty!” Martin Tyler called immediately on the broadcast before the match official had even pointed towards the spot.

”Andy Robertson has caught Ezra, and Wigan have a penalty! What a turn of events here at the DW Arena again!”

Down the pitch, Liverpool’s players immediately surrounded the referee disputing the decision, and Robertson was at the front of them, arms spread wide.

”No, no. I got the ball!” he tried saying, but the referee shook his head and pointed toward the spot.

Nothing was changing.

”I think the referee got the decision right,” Andy Gray called on the broadcast as the replay rolled, showing Robertson’s challenge causing Ezra to lose his footing.

”Robertson tried to do away with the dangerous chance that was beginning to build for Wigan, but he’s been so unlucky to clip Ezra before getting to the ball. That’s very unlucky!”

As the proceedings unfolded, Leo walked into the penalty area and found Jake already holding the ball.

”You want it?” Jake asked while showing the ball towards Leo, snorted.

”Don’t make it sound like you’re doing me a favour,” he said before taking the ball away from Jake’s hands.

”I’m the designated taker after Fletcher and Will Keane. Get another job to do!”

At that, Jake snorted.

”Fletcher needs to hurry up and get fit before your head gets any bigger,” he said as Leo started walking toward the penalty spot.

”I think you fit that bill more! When Fletcher comes back, you’re third choice.”

At that, Jake just stared at him as he went on.

”Behind Keane and him.”

”You’re a prick,” Jake muttered as Leo slowly moved closer and closer towards the kick-off spot with the ball!

While he was doing so, the Liverpool players slowly moved out of the box under the referee’s beckoning, leaving just the goalkeeper.

Alisson remained on his line, watching Leo as the teenager placed the ball on the spot and adjusted it once before standing.

He planted his left foot beside it, shifted his weight, then stepped back, taking the steps for his run-up.

Through it all, Alisson watched him closely, his muscles tensing in anticipation of what was to come.

After coming to a halt, Leo picked his head up and wiped the sweat from his upper lip with the collar of his shirt while looking towards the match official, who in turn was looking at Alisson to see if he was settled.

After getting the okay from the keeper, the referee then looked towards Leo before bringing his whistle to his lips.

And then, without waiting any further, he let it sound.

”This to make it three,” Martin Tyler said on the broadcast after the whistle.

Leo didn’t move immediately.

He stood for a second, unnerving Alisson a bit as he was forced to think more than he usually did in instances like this.

Finally, Leo stepped forward, slowly coming onto the ball with his first few steps before exploding towards the ball on the third step.

When he got to the round object, he struck it.

Allisson immediately dived, committing to his right, but he could only look back as the ball went right in the position he had just lunged from, settling straight down the middle and rippling the net and with it came the ripples in the stands of the home fans.

”GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!” The DW exploded after the ball entered the net.

”THREE-ONE!” Tyler shouted. ”LEO CALDERON! Straight down the middle, and Alisson has gone the wrong way!”

Leo turned toward the home stand and his right fist came up once.

That was all he managed before Jake grabbed him around the neck from behind.

”Get in!” the striker called, all smiles as Leo laughed with Ezra and Reyes crashing into them a moment later!

Then the rest arrived.

A pile of blue and white shirts formed in front of the supporters, who were already bouncing behind the advertising boards.

Liverpool’s players, on the other hand, stood scattered around their box.

On the touchline, Klopp remained still, both hands buried in his pockets as the camera found him.

”Liverpool fought their way back to 2-1 and briefly gave themselves something to believe in,” Tyler said. ”But Leo Calderon has answered again.”

Gray exhaled.

”That’s the difference at the moment. Liverpool finally put Wigan under pressure, and Wigan have punished them at the other end courtesy of a penalty won by Ezra and finished by Calderon! It’s three to one, and I can’t see them getting back now!”

The Wigan players soon began returning towards their half with fifteen minutes left of the game, but it was looking more like something the away fans had to endure rather than to make something of it!