Chapter 643: Two Quick Ones!

For a second, Leo simply looked at him.

Then he remembered who he was speaking to.

Henderson had spent years at Liverpool, captaining them through some of the biggest matches of his career.

Whatever his current allegiance, he knew exactly what a defeat to Manchester United meant to the people who wore red on Merseyside.

Leo’s mouth curled into a small smile and then nodded.

"Not a bad idea."

"Good. Now get in position."

A moment later, the referee checked both teams, spoke briefly to the captains, and looked towards the touchlines.

The substitutions were complete, leaving the players spread out across the pitch.

Without waiting any longer, he brought his whistle to his mouth when he saw all was fit and blew it to start the game again.

....

With the game restarting, United sought to make the second half theirs.

Ten Hag had instructed Dalot and Shaw to push higher when possession allowed, giving both full-backs greater freedom to attack while Casemiro dropped between Varane and Lindelof during the build-up, forming a temporary back three.

The change allowed the centre-backs to spread wider and gave United more passing options against Wigan’s press.

It also meant there were fewer players protecting the space ahead of them, and as the match went on, Wigan began making use of it.

Especially Leo.

When United held the ball, Leo didn’t rush towards every receiver.

He watched the shape, waited for the right moment, and chose his battles.

Henderson stayed close enough to cover when Leo stepped forward, allowing the younger midfielder to press without leaving the middle completely exposed.

United had more attacking stability now.

Their full-backs could advance, their midfielders had clearer passing options, and Amad immediately began offering himself between the lines.

But the space behind them remained.

And Leo knew exactly where to find it, and so he bid his time.

With pressure from Wigan, United began to play a bit more direct, facing confrontation, and after a hurried touch from Dalot, Wigan intercepted and came forward with the ball.

Leo, all the way in the back, ran forward and received possession near the halfway line.

He could have carried it, but the movement ahead of him caught his attention.

Reyes was drifting towards the right, pulling Mainoo away from the centre.

Jake had begun moving between the centre-backs, while Ezra held his width on the opposite flank.

Leo waited until United’s midfield started closing around him.

Then he played the ball forward before dashing into space where Reyes returned it first time.

The one-two took Leo beyond the first line of pressure, and he accelerated towards the penalty area.

Mainoo tried to recover from behind, while Casemiro stepped across to block his path.

Leo shifted the ball between them, keeping it close enough to change direction without slowing down, and a second later, he was through the middle.

"Calderon is driving again!" Bower called. "United have given him a little room, and he’s taking full advantage!"

Varane moved out from the defensive line, attempting to close Leo before he reached the box.

Maguire’s replacement, Lindelof, stayed deeper to cover Jake, while Casemiro hurried back towards the centre.

Varane closed in as Leo approached the penalty area, the ball moving neatly between his feet.

The defender read the shape of his body and committed to a sliding challenge, expecting a shot before Leo could get any closer.

Instead, Leo dragged the ball across himself with his left foot.

Varane swept past him, his studs scraping the turf, but Leo emerged into the space behind him with enough time to pick his pass.

Jake was waiting in the middle, and so Leo slipped him the ball.

The striker took a touch on the ball and then drove it beyond Onana.

The net rippled, sending another wave of noise around the DW Stadium.

"WIGAN HAVE THEIR FIFTH!" Bower shouted, catching himself after an initial slip. "Five-two! Jake finishes it, and Leo Calderon finally picks up the assist!"

Fletcher laughed, shaking his head at the replay. "Varane expects Leo to shoot, and that’s understandable. He’s got the angle, he’s inside the box, and the defender has to make a decision.

Leo never looks rushed. He takes the ball away from the challenge and finds Jake. It’s a simple pass in the end, but the work to create that opening is anything but simple."

Jake wheeled away towards the corner, punching the air as Ezra and Reyes caught up with him.

Leo joined them long enough to wrap an arm around the striker before turning towards halfway.

United’s players were already gathering around Onana, exchanging a few frustrated words as they prepared to restart.

The scoreline was becoming difficult to ignore, but Wigan showed little interest in easing off.

Seven minutes later, they had another opportunity.

Seriki’s forward run forced Shaw to turn the ball behind, and Leo jogged over to take the resulting corner.

He placed it inside the arc, then looked into the crowded penalty area. Henderson had positioned himself between Casemiro and Lindelof, waiting for the right moment to break free.

Leo raised a hand, and Henderson started his run just as the delivery curled towards the near side of the six-yard box.

The ball dipped beyond the first defender, and Henderson rose above the crowd to meet it with a firm header.

Despite the obstruction, he got his header away, leaving Onana to get a hand to it, but the power and direction were enough to carry it over the line.

And before the ball could even nestle against the net, the DW rose again.

"OH, MY GOODNESS. WIGAN HAVE SIX! SIX-TWO!" Bower’s voice rose above the celebrations.

"Jordan Henderson joins the scoresheet, and Manchester United are having a miserable afternoon!"

Henderson spread his arms before his teammates swarmed him, laughing as they pulled him away from the goal.

"That’s a good corner, and Henderson attacks it well, but look at United’s marking: he’s found room between two defenders, and neither of them gets near enough to challenge him.

They’ve made changes to try to stabilise things, yet they’re still conceding far too easily."

The camera found Ten Hag standing rigidly beside the touchline.

He spoke to one of his assistants, then turned back towards the pitch, his expression growing harder as his players trudged into position.

Behind him, the travelling supporters had begun drifting towards the exits.

A few stopped to watch the restart, but others simply tucked their scarves into their jackets and continued up the steps.

Wigan, meanwhile, were still looking for openings.