The British media loved Christmas and New Year, but they loved a scandal even more. Highbury was packed to capacity, buzzing with festive cheer as Manchester City fans seized the opportunity to mock Arsenal.
Arsenal found themselves mired in scandal, the consequences of which were still evident. All around the stands, City supporters waved banners and held up crude signs mocking Arsenal after the accident in the previous fixture against Coventry City.
One depicted a ridiculous four-wheeled version of a cannon, surrounded by yellow police tape, with a figure sprawled beneath it. The tasteless caricature drew laughter and jeers from the visiting supporters, turning Arsenal's famous cannon into a grim parody of the previous week's tragedy.
Richard rubbed the bridge of his nose at this. Thankfully, none of this affected the team as a whole.
