The wind off the Thames hit harder than usual.
It crept between jacket buttons and into gloved fingers, whipped through the old iron gates of Craven Cottage, and swirled across the pitch like it had something to say.
Packed to the rafters, the stadium groaned with anticipation.
The crowd buzzed—not rowdy, but sharp, edged with hope and edged with nerves.
And above it all, a voice slipped into the broadcast.
"This place has always felt like it remembers things," said Rob Hawthorne, his tone almost reverent as the camera panned across the bobbing crowd and the snug old stands.
"History leaks through the bricks at Craven Cottage," responded co-commentator Chris Sutton.
"But if Fulham want a different kind of memory tonight, they'll need more than nostalgia. Arsenal aren't here for the tour."
