The sky above the Emirates was slate-gray by kickoff, tinged with the damp chill of late December.
Floodlights cut through the gloom, reflecting off the rain-glossed pitch like moonlight on glass.
The air held that big-match sharpness, not from tension, but from expectation.
The 3 points of Matchday 6 of the Champions League, league phase was up for grabs.
Arsenal vs. AS Monaco.
Two games remained before the knockouts, and Arsenal were already through.
But this wasn't about qualification anymore.
This was about.
Momentum.
Making a statement to whoever might wait next.
The crowd was vibrant, layered in coats and scarves, breath misting up toward the heavens.
Somewhere between those roars and that cold hung the sense that something beautiful was about to unfold.
"Evening, all," began Mark Scott on commentary, his voice steady and warm through the broadcast.
