FA Cup, Semi-Final.
Wembley.
The air carried that unmistakable buzz of a cup occasion.
Even before a ball had been kicked, the voices of thousands drifted across London with chants, laughter and the distant roll of drums as time ticked by, with kickoff time approaching by the second.
Against that backdrop, the broadcast began, the voice warm yet weighted with anticipation.
"Arsenal," the commentator's words rang out, "a club whose season still stretches across so many fronts. A Champions League semi-final 2nd leg, a Premier League race… battles yet to be fought, mountains yet to be climbed. But before any of that, there is this."
A pause, deliberate, letting the words sink.
"The FA Cup. A competition that has tested them, defined them, and today places before them a different kind of challenge. Crystal Palace, disciplined, proud, unafraid. A team that has reached this stage not by chance, but by grit, and by belief and ability"
