Harbinger Of Glory

Odegaard stopped and looked towards the referee as the official approached and then pointed towards the spot where Leo had fallen, but that was it.

Despite the challenge from behind, Odegaard didn’t even get a yellow card, and to that, the Wigan fans showed their displeasure, but even that wouldn’t go anywhere.

All they had was their free kick and a chance to pull themselves back into the game.

”And Wigan have a free kick in a very good place for a cross or to go for goal,” the commentator said, watching as Leo pushed himself up while Reyes reached, offering a hand.

Power arrived a moment later and patted him on the back, while Whatmough gave him a quick slap across the shoulder as he ran towards the Arsenal box.

And as the referee stood measuring out the distance, Max Power joined Leo and Reyes behind the ball.

”What are we doing?”

At the question, Reyes looked at Leo, causing Max Power to also turn towards him.

Leo remained quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on the goal, and then he finally answered.

”I’m going for goal.”

The moment Leo said that, Reyes nodded and then looked towards Power.

”You heard the man,” he said as Power nodded.

”Alright.”

And with that, one of Wigan’s captains backed away, filling the space behind Whatmough after the centre back had joined the attack.

While he did so, the referee finished organising the wall and stepped away right as the broadcast turned its attention back towards Leo.

”Calderon has already scored one free kick this season, of course, against Chelsea. He’s had a few good attempts since then, and with this one...”

The commentator paused as Leo stood over the ball.

”Can he make it two?”

Rain continued to fall around him, droplets catching in his hair and running down his face and through that, Leo sighed.

Across from him, the Arsenal wall shuffled into place and behind him, Arteta’s voice carried through the rain.

”Careful!”

”Stay together!”

Leo finally glanced towards the destination where Raya stood still talking to his wall while adjusting his own positioning.

”Power or placement?” the main commentator said while the co-commentator considered it.

”Or a cross.”

The referee moved away from the wall before settling just a metre away from it.

Leo bent slightly at the waist as his eyes went from the wall to Raya, then back towards the target.

A second later, the whistle sounded, and when it did, Leo wasted no time.

His left foot planted beside the ball as he stepped up to it, and when his right leg came down, his body rotated through the strike, his boot catching the ball right underneath it, and with that, the ball rose.

It cleared the Arsenal wall by inches, climbing sharply before beginning to dip, and the heavy spin Leo had put on it sent the ball bending violently through the rain.

Raya moved across his line, gathering steps, but as he did, it looked like it was never going to be enough.

After facing so many shots and near misses in the game, it seemed he was beaten again as the ball kept bending away from him, dropping towards the upper corner with just enough pace to make the dive feel hopeless.

The Emirates held its breath as Raya’s stretch seemed to never end.

The ball kept curling and then suddenly, what looked to be its greatest strength became its own bane.

The movement became too much and, like a prayer answered, it drifted beyond the goalkeeper’s reach and crashed into the junction between the crossbar and the post.

The sound from that collision rang around the stadium, sending the Wigan fans right back into their seats as the ball bounced away and disappeared behind the goal.

”OH MY GOODNESS!” the commentary came through as the Emirates released one enormous gasp.

”IT’S HIT THE FRAME!”

As the commentary rambled, Leo stood frozen with his hands crossed over his head.

”Arsenal have escaped by the skin of their teeth! Raya was beaten there,” the co-commentator said, almost laughing at the closeness of it.

”Completely beaten. But look at the movement on that ball. Calderon has put so much whip on it that it has actually carried it into the junction.”

Leo finally lowered his hands, sighing slightly while rolling his eyes.

Then he turned away, exactly as the rest of the Wigan players began making their way back towards their positions.

From the earlier chance, the anxiety began to spread through the Emirates.

The Arsenal supporters were still confident, but the confidence was no longer comfortable.

Their side had been ahead for several minutes, yet Wigan kept finding ways back into the game.

”How are they this good?”

The question came from somewhere among the Arsenal supporters.

A fan looked back towards the pitch and then furrowed his brow.

”It doesn’t make sense.”

”It really doesn’t,” another replied. ”How does a team- no, a player just come from nowhere, get this good, and suddenly you have to think about him every time you make a game plan?”

He shook his head.

”Calderon wasn’t even supposed to be here.”

Another supporter brought his hands together nervously.

”I just hope they don’t turn into Brentford.”

Beside him, a more relaxed fan shrugged.

”They were level in that game. We are a goal up. What they get at most is a draw.”

The moment he finished, a roar suddenly ripped through the away end and that got all of their attention.

They looked down and found Ezra sprinting towards the referee, with both arms raised and speaking sharply.

”That’s a penalty!” he called as his cross had struck the hand of an Arsenal defender inside the box.

The referee had been perfectly placed, but he immediately waved the appeals away.

”OH, THERE’S A HUGE APPEAL FOR A PENALTY!”

”That has hit the arm,” the co-commentator said. ”He’s made himself bigger there. Wigan will feel they have every right to that decision.”

Ezra pointed towards the spot, but the referee shook his head, crossing his arms.

Wigan’s players protested, but the official had already turned away and with Arsenal’s throw, they couldn’t afford to continue arguing.

Leo, who, after countless events during the game, had realised that they weren’t going to get anything from the referee, ignored the whole proceedings and followed the game as Arsenal sought to increase their lead, using the whole controversy.

Saka received it on the right and immediately attacked the space in front of him.

Leo chased across the pitch, closing the angle as Bennet raced back into position.

The Arsenal winger tried to send the ball across the face of goal, aiming for the far post where Havertz looked like a man with land, but right then, Leo threw himself into the lane, causing the cross to strike him before spinning behind again for the umpteenth time, giving Arsenal another corner.

”Corner for Arsenal, and what a nice bit of tracking back by Calderon. This gentleman is so vital to this team in moments of need, and he’s done it again!”