The air coming back out for the second half felt heavier—not from the weather, but from something thicker, more intangible. Pressure, maybe.
Expectation.
Arsenal returned to the pitch without much fanfare, but the players' expressions were tighter and more focused now.
Arteta's voice had trailed off into the tunnel before they emerged, barking last-minute positioning tweaks and encouragements that barely cut through the murmur of the Selhurst Park crowd.
Palace were leading 1–0, and the hosts had every intention of sitting on that advantage.
"They've been disciplined," Jon Champion noted on the commentary.
"Not just defensively, but emotionally. Palace haven't let the moment get too big."
Beside him, Chris Sutton nodded. "
And Arsenal? They've looked like a team with one eye on the weekend and the other still blinking."
The ball rolled, and the second half began.
