In the opening round of 1998, Manchester City claimed a narrow victory over West Ham United, winning by a single goal.
After the match, attention shifted to the security situation. Although there were clashes among fans outside the stadium, the scale was far smaller compared to the previous year.
West Ham United faced fierce criticism from the media, with The Guardian using an image to sum up the match.
The illustration depicted a boxing ring, where a tall, muscular fighter clad in a Manchester City jersey ruthlessly pummeled his opponent—who cowered in the corner with his head covered—wearing a West Ham jersey.
However, all these incidents soon faded into the background with the emergence of surprising news that caught many off guard.
