Chapter 670: Minutes away!

Leo stepped away from the advertising boards, pulling at the bottom of his shirt as he did.

It had been stretched badly during the celebration, the fabric hanging loosely around his waist after the players had climbed over the boards to join the supporters.

He barely noticed at first, as the noise coming from the stands was enough to drown out almost everything else, even his thoughts.

"Wigan! Wigan! Wigan!"

The chant rolled around the DW, growing louder with every repetition until another chant began to rise.

One that was becoming more and more familiar to the fans.

"Two on the bounce! Two on the bounce!"

They were singing about reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive season.

And this time, they had done it by beating Manchester City, the same team that had stopped them from creating history in the previous season.

Over the broadcast, the main commentator returned.

"Five minutes of normal time remaining, and then whatever the referee decides to add. Wigan Athletic are now just minutes away from a famous victory."

Though he said that, his partner was less convinced that the contest was over.

"There’s still ten minutes or so for Manchester City to find something. We’ve seen teams come back from worse positions, and if there’s one side you wouldn’t want to rule out, it’s a Pep Guardiola side.

They’ve got the quality, they’ve got the experience, and they’ve got players who can change a game in a moment."

The main commentator, however, shook his head.

"I’m not ruling them out, but it’s going to take an awful lot. Wigan have been outstanding since taking the lead.

They’ve given City very little to work with, and that second goal has put them in a wonderful position."

Leo eventually walked back to his position.

But standing a few feet away, Henderson glanced at Leo’s shirt.

"Mate, wouldn’t it be better to change that?"

Leo looked down at himself and then snorted.

"Look at it. It’s practically hanging off you," Henderson went on.

Leo pulled the fabric away from his chest, inspecting the damage before letting it fall again.

"It’ll be fine."

"Your choice. But don’t be complaining when they strangle you with it."

Henderson gave him a small pat on the shoulder before turning towards the pitch.

The referee was already walking back towards the centre circle.

City had gathered around the ball, with their players exchanging a few quick words before taking their positions, and soon Wigan’s celebrations gradually gave way to concentration.

A moment later, the whistle sounded, and Manchester City restarted.

Despite their two-goal advantage, Wigan showed no intention of sitting back completely.

Their forwards restlessly continued to close down City’s defenders, while the midfielders followed runners and blocked passing lanes.

Whenever City tried to make something of the ball, they had a Wigan man breathing down their necks.

They were making every yard difficult.

Leo was particularly alert to the spaces around De Bruyne.

The Belgian, a genius in his own right, had begun finding more room between the midfield and defensive lines, and Leo knew better than to give him time to look up.

He slowly kept track of the Belgian and eventually, his attention paid off.

After De Bruyne got the ball, Leo stepped directly into his path.

For a moment, it looked as though the two would meet.

Instead, De Bruyne opened his body and swept a pass over the top without warning.

Leo leapt and then leaned to block the ball, but it whipped past his head and travelled diagonally towards the left flank, clearing the Wigan defensive line.

There, Doku, the subject of attention from De Bruyne’s ball, had already started his run.

The winger collected it without breaking stride and then started going on Wigan’s goal.

"Jeremy Doku’s in behind!"

The City forward pushed the ball ahead and entered the penalty area.

With Femi Seriki behind him, he dared to take another touch, but after that, he didn’t bother anymore.

Amos was still adjusting his position when Doku struck, driving the ball towards the bottom-right corner.

The net looked ready to rustle, but the Wigan goalkeeper reacted quickly.

Amos dropped low, throwing his legs across the path of the shot.

The ball struck his boot and flew behind for a corner to the dismay of the Manchester City fans who were ready to celebrate.

"OOHHH, Good save from Amos!" the commentator shouted.

"That was a dangerous one. Doku had the space, he had the angle, but he should have made it count from there. Waste of a good pass from Kevin De Bruyne."

His partner nodded.

"That’s exactly what City need to do now. Get the ball into those wide areas and make Wigan defend facing their own goal. They’ve got runners who can hurt them, but they need to deliver the right pass.

The wingers too have to be more clinical in these instances. A goal would have certainly changed the outlook on this game."

As the two went at it on the broadcast, City brought their defenders forward for the corner.

Ortega had even made his way up the pitch, though he hadn’t gon further than the halfway line.

De Bruyne stood over the ball, and when the referee’s whistle went, he swung it towards the near post.

The ball climbed expertly with bodies tussling for a chance to glance the ball at goal, but Whatmough got there first.

His header sent it bouncing away from the six-yard box, and Henderson followed up with another clearance.

The ball travelled towards the left touchline, and Carlo chased after it from midfield.

He brought it under control and turned upfield, with the nearest City player struggling to get across in time.

The Italian drove forward, carrying the ball past the first challenge before shifting it away from another.

He had space ahead of him, and the Wigan supporters rose as he approached the edge of the penalty area.

"Regutti’s got room here!"

Carlo pushed the ball onto his right foot and cut in.

And while Walker tried to close the angle, Carlo had already made his decision.

He curled a shot towards the far side, sending it bending across Ortega, who couldn’t get to it, but the ball also couldn’t bend enough.