Harbinger Of Glory

”That is much better. Chelsea are now starting to find something,” the lead commentator observed as the game slowed down.

”They are,” his co-commentator replied.

”And that’s important. They need to get into the dressing room believing there is still a game here.”

Chelsea won another corner, and Thiago Silva came forward again.

The delivery was sent toward him, but Whatmough rose first and headed it away, and shortly after, the whistle blew to bring the first half to a close.

”15 minutes of rest for both teams to think about their first half performances and make changes accordingly,” the main commentator called.

”Or not,” his partner added a second later as Chelsea walked toward the tunnel with the score still 2–0.

They had finished the half stronger, but they had nothing to show for it while Wigan headed into the dressing room with the advantage.

For the Chelsea fans in the DW Stadium, it felt like the break would never end as they waited for the restart.

Some distracted themselves, trying to forget the performance their team had put in as a whole in the first half, but that only worsened their situation.

Eventually, the announcer came in and called out as the break slowly came to an end, with some Chelsea fans who had left their seats for whatever reason making their way back.

When they returned, Dawson had made one change, and that was bringing Tiehi on for Max Power, two midfielders playing the same position but with very different profiles.

It was a simple alteration, but the effect was obvious.

Tiehi sat deeper beside Leo when Wigan defended, giving the midfield another body to protect the centre.

Wigan were not interested in allowing Chelsea to build momentum through the middle.

After the game restarted, the away side eagerly sought to regain the momentum they had lost in the break, but it was easier said than done.

Chelsea tried again and again, attempting to work the ball through, but more often than not, they ran into white and blue shirts.

Palmer would drop with the ball, trying to bait any of the Wigan cohort to follow, but they would straight up ignore him.

And when he tried to push forward with the ball, the Wigan players would encroach on him and force him to play it back.

Chelsea were playing, but they were not really going anywhere.

”There’s a little more defensive stability for Wigan now,” the co-commentator said.

”Tiehi gives them another body in there, and it means Calderon doesn’t have to spend quite as much time worrying about what happens behind him.”

The match went back and forth, though nothing good came out of it until it slowed for a moment when the ball went out of play, and the players took the opportunity to breathe.

A few Wigan players walked toward the touchline for water while the broadcast cameras turned toward the commentators.

”We have just about 22 minutes more to play in this affair, and things aren’t as chummy for the away side,” the lead commentator said.

”Because Chelsea really haven’t been in this game for long stretches.”

”I just don’t know how Wigan have managed to keep them out of their hair for so long,” the co-commentator came in afterwards.

”I mean they’ve had moments, but it just hasn’t been concrete enough.

Palmer has hit the post, Nkunku has hit the bar, and they’ve created a few situations, but it’s not enough.

That coupled with the fact that Nicholas Jackson just hasn’t been up to par, and this is what you get. Wigan have been much more comfortable.”

”And something has to change if Chelsea are going to get back into this.”

At the mention of change, the broadcast camera switched to Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino.

He stood near the technical area with his arms folded and his eyes fixed on the pitch.

There was a tiredness in his expression now that had not been there at kickoff.

He looked down briefly, then back up before rubbing the bridge of his nose and then sighing as the match went on.

The change was subtle, but with Chelsea no longer possessing the same attacking threat, McClean began tucking inside rather than remaining permanently wide.

And that gave Leo more opportunities to get involved in possession and provide the kind of service he had become known for.

”Wigan are holding onto this very well,” the commentator continued.

”And look at Calderon. He’s sitting a little higher now.”

Leo kept on finding more room by drawing players towards his own space while creating more for others like Reyes, who hadn’t been as effective in the game as Dawson would have liked, but he had played well.

In the 72nd minute, Leo collected the ball near the middle-right side of the pitch, as Femi Seriki needed an outlet.

Taking the ball on the turn, Leo looked up and then found a Chelsea midfielder stepping toward him.

It looked like he might lose the ball as Caicedo popped a foot at him, but Leo’s touch took it beyond him.

Caicedo still got a touch on the ball, but it didn’t really affect its trajectory, and Leo skipped past the challenge that came after.

He carried the ball a few more yards, then stopped when he saw the Chelsea defensive line begin stepping up.

Jake had seen it before everyone else, and without waiting, the striker suddenly accelerated in the opposite direction as if he’d receive the ball deep, then turned and dashed right back again.

He ran beyond the defensive line and straight into the space behind it, and Leo held on until he couldn’t anymore and sent the ball right as Jake went beyond Disasi.

The Chelsea centre back spun and gave chase, but the gap only widened as Jake knocked the ball forward.

Then, right as Disasi thought of clipping Jake, the latter rolled the ball onto his left foot.

The angle was not ideal, but he still hit it, trying to find the side netting across goal.

Petrovic stretched and even went at it with his legs, but he could not reach it.

The ball cracked against the foot of the post, then flew across the face of goal beyond the far side without crossing the line before Petrovic smothered it a second later.

A collective scream of agony came from the Chelsea end as Thiago Silva immediately turned toward his defence.

”How does that get through?”

He was already on his feet, gesturing angrily at the players around him while Jake stood near the penalty area with both hands covering his face.

He had already celebrated it in his head, but it seemed he had to do better.

Pochettino watched the reaction, and that was enough.

He turned toward his bench and finally decided to make changes.