Chapter 638: Who Will Stop Me [Bonus - !]

While his teammates crowded around Reyes, Leo walked into the United penalty area and retrieved the ball from the net.

He tucked it beneath his arm and headed towards the centre circle, making no effort to hide his satisfaction.

His expression was almost infuriatingly calm.

He passed one United player, then another, wearing a small smirk as he made his way out of the goalmouth.

He didn’t shout at the crowd or throw his arms into the air.

He simply carried the ball as though Wigan had every right to be leading and everyone else should have expected it.

Mainoo had apparently had enough.

He moved into Leo’s path, forcing him to slow down.

"You don’t have to do all that," Mainoo said, his voice low and irritated.

Leo stopped in front of him, and his eyes flicked briefly towards Mainoo’s face, then towards the United goal behind him.

The smirk remained.

"Who will stop me?"

At that, Mainoo’s expression tightened.

He took half a step forward, clearly tempted to answer with something more than words, but Leo had already shifted around him.

"Fuck’s sake," Mainoo muttered, turning to watch him leave.

A few United players looked over.

Bruno called something towards Mainoo, telling him to get back into position, while Casemiro gestured impatiently towards the centre circle.

There was no point in starting a confrontation with the restart waiting and United now having a lead to recover.

On the broadcast, Bower was still catching his breath.

"Three shots on target, two goals. That is the sort of efficiency Wigan have shown throughout this remarkable season, but the quality of that move was something else."

"And Leo Calderon is at the centre of it again," Fletcher added.

"He hasn’t even joined the celebration. He’s gone straight to collect the ball. That tells you exactly what he’s thinking: he’s not satisfied with being level. He wants to get on with it."

By the time the camera returned to the pitch, Reyes and the others had begun making their way back from the corner.

Their celebrations had lasted barely a minute before they noticed Leo waiting near the centre circle, the ball tucked under his arm.

Carlo shook his head as he jogged past him.

"Couldn’t wait for us, could you?"

"Take your time next time," Leo replied, handing the ball towards the referee.

Reyes arrived last, still grinning, his shirt damp with sweat and grass marks from his slide.

He gave Leo a quick tap on the shoulder before moving into position.

The rest of Wigan followed, spreading out across their half as United arranged themselves for the restart.

The home crowd continued to sing, the noise carrying down from the stands while the travelling supporters tried to lift their own team.

The referee checked that both sides were ready, then brought the whistle to his lips.

.....

The first post appeared before the broadcast had finished showing Reyes’s celebration.

@Coolvamp: went to have a shower when United were 2-0 up. HOW THE FUCK ARE WIGAN BACK WITHIN ONE?????

The replies came almost immediately.

@Kudo21: BACK WITHIN ONE???? CHECK THE FUCKING SCORE AGAIN, MATE?

@Coolvamp: YOU’RE JOKING.

@PremierLeagueWatch: Manchester United have conceded twice in eight minutes against Wigan Athletic. They now level 2-2 at the DW Stadium.

@Cybersage: I’m sorry, but how shit do United have to be to get gifted a two-goal lead by Wigan and then hand it straight back in eight minutes?

@Incyte: Wigan literally gave them two goals and said, "Here, have a head start." Then decided they’d had enough.

@RedDevilTom: Can everyone shut the fuck up for five minutes? There’s still an hour left.

@Some_Wise Dude: An hour for what? Another two Wigan goals?

Across England, the same scene was playing out in living rooms, pubs, student accommodation, and football club lounges.

Some fans had switched over out of curiosity when United went two goals ahead.

Others had tuned in because Wigan were top of the league, and watching them dismantle another big club had become a weekly habit.

A few had only wanted to see whether United could finally put together a convincing performance.

Now, whatever their original reasons, they were staying.

In a pub in Liverpool, a group of supporters who had been watching their own team’s match began arguing over the television remote.

Someone had spotted the score change on his phone, and within seconds, half the table wanted the Wigan game on instead.

In North London, Arsenal supporters were following the match on their laptops, occasionally glancing at their own team’s fixture before returning to the broadcast.

In Manchester, City fans had found another reason to gather around a screen, laughing whenever the camera caught Casemiro or Mainoo looking frustrated.

Even supporters with no particular affection for Wigan were beginning to enjoy themselves.

It wasn’t simply that United were losing but how quickly the game had turned.

For a while, United had looked comfortable.

They had taken their chances, controlled the midfield, and made Wigan look unusually vulnerable.

Then Leo had begun dragging them apart, and suddenly the home side had scored twice in quick succession.

The first goal had given Wigan a foothold.

The second had left United confused.

@Joshua Brown: Wigan are nine points clear of Liverpool and eight clear of City. If they win today, that’s another statement victory. Are we getting to the point where we have to accept they’ve genuinely won this title race?

@Socrates: Have to? They’re top of the league by eight points. At some stage, people need to stop talking about them like they’re going to disappear next week.

@Zenonblack: I’m still waiting for the collapse everyone promised in December.

@UnitedTillIDie: It’s February. Nobody’s won anything yet. Can we please stop acting like this league is finished?

@Kumatetsu: Nobody said it’s finished. But if Wigan can go two goals down at home to United and turn it around before half-time, what exactly are we waiting to see?

That question spread beyond social media.

The match at the DW was only one game, and there was still plenty of football to play.

But United were one of the biggest clubs in the country, and Wigan had just made them look helpless in the space of a few minutes once more.

For thousands watching from elsewhere, that was reason enough to stay glued to their screens.

Then, a few seconds later, another notification appeared.

@Kudo21: NUKE THE WHOLE CLUB. WIGAN HAVE JUST SCORED AGAIN!

:???????