Harbinger Of Glory

Onana’s hand followed through after the header.

Even after Jake had won the ball in the air, the goalkeeper came through in front of him, swinging his arm to clear anything in his way.

And despite the ball going behind him, Onana’s gloves couldn’t keep up.

Because of the momentum behind it, his hand caught Jake high around the side of the head in the next second, the force snapping Jake’s head back before the goalkeeper’s momentum carried him past.

Still, the ball had dropped behind Onana, and for a moment, it looked as though it might roll all the way toward the empty goal, but then Harry Maguire appeared!

The Englishman took another step and then threw himself to the ground, hooking the ball with his leg before pushing it away from the goal line!

The clearance went toward the edge of the area, but nobody followed it, and that was because all eyes had already turned back toward Jake, who had dropped onto the grass.

Leo saw him from several yards away and stopped.

"Jake!" he muttered as Jake’s hand immediately went to his neck!

With haste, Leo ran towards Jake, not even hearing the proceedings behind him as Michael Oliver blew his whistle and then pointed his arm towards the penalty spot!

Leo reached Jake and dropped to his knees beside him.

"You alright?"

Even after asking a second time, Jake didn’t answer immediately.

He was still holding the side of his neck, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to work through the pain.

"Jake?" Leo called again before Jake’s eyes seemed to clear a bit!

"I’m alright," he finally managed, but his voice was strained.

"I’m good," he said again as Oliver arrived beside them and looked down at the Wigan striker.

"Don’t move yet if you can’t!"

Jake nodded, his tensed body relaxing a bit as the referee turned toward the touchline and raised his arm.

While the Wigan staff ran onto the field, Old Trafford quietened down a bit, and most of the Wigan fans had risen from their seats, many of them still trying to understand what had happened.

"A penalty has been awarded, but there is a concern here for Jake."

Drury narrated on the broadcast as the camera stayed on the striker while the medics knelt around him.

"Onana came charging through, looking to clear the danger. He got the ball eventually, but Jake has taken the full force of that follow-through."

Carragher watched the replay carefully.

"There’s no doubt about the penalty. Onana is entitled to go for the ball, but he’s nowhere near Jake’s head with his hand. That’s dangerous, and I won’t be surprised if he gets sent off here!"

The replay ran again, showing the momentum with which Jake’s head snapped backwards, and this time, Carragher grimaced.

"That’s a nasty one."

Back on the pitch, Leo pulled away, giving room for the medics to work while he stood behind watching!

One checked Jake’s neck.

Another asked him questions.

Jake answered each one, though slower than usual, due to him wincing in between answers!

By the time they were done with their checkup, almost a minute had passed, and in that minute, the medics had come to the conclusion that Jake couldn’t continue!

"And the stretcher comes out," Peter Drury noted on the broadcast as Jake was slowly sat up.

Leo, watching it all unfold, rubbed a hand over his hair and looked away for a second.

Jake saw the stretcher and instantly shook his head!

"Come on, guys," he said, trying to flex his neck in a show of how okay he was, but the medic shook his head.

"We are not taking chances."

Jake exhaled through his nose as he realised he was going nowhere with his talk and eventually gave up!

The Wigan fans applauded as Jake was helped onto the stretcher.

A show of encouragement from the fans.

Jake, hearing that, raised a hand to acknowledge that, but it was quickly knocked down by the head medic as they proceeded off the pitch!

"So Wigan have a penalty, but they may have lost one of their most important players in the process."

"And that is a bitter price to pay," Carragher added. "Because Jake has been a handful all afternoon for Maguire and Lindelof!"

Several yards down the touchline, Dawson stood, watching the stretcher move toward the tunnel before he eventually turned when the medics with Jake in tow disappeared!

His eyes settled on Will Keane, who was running up and down the touchline before his gaze changed, settling on Fletcher, who was still on the bench!

The striker was fit enough, but he had not played enough football to throw him into this immediately, even though Dawson wanted to do just that!

With a sigh, he turned and pointed towards Will Keane!

"Will!"

Keane, who was about to jog again, stopped and turned towards Dawson!

"Get changed. You’re going in!"

Keane nodded and jogged away.

Dawson gave him one final look before turning back toward the penalty area.

Across the pitch, Ten Hag looked equally frustrated.

His team had just started getting right back into the game, but now, they were staring at another wall in the form of a penalty.

He muttered something under his breath before turning sharply toward his substitutes.

"Martial."

At the mention of his name, the Frenchman who had been warming up for a while looked up!

"Get ready."

Following that, Ten Hag pointed at Mainoo too as the duo proceeded to take off their bibs!

Back on the pitch, Leo remained near the penalty area before something nudged his leg.

He looked down and found the ball at his feet, right as Carlo came to his side!

"Come on," the latter beckoned.

That seemed to bring him back as Leo picked up the ball and then looked towards the goal where Onana was speaking to Oliver.

The goalkeeper was clearly unhappy, gesturing toward the spot while Oliver listened without much expression.

Eventually, Oliver raised a yellow card, one that Onana shook his head at, clearly not pleased with it, but it was better than getting the red card that most had suggested or thought he was getting.

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