I think many are underestimating how big of a slight (and signal) Richard Masters choosing to attend the Arsenal match rather than ours actually was.
Was it particularly surprising? Not really.
But was it a fairly substantial indication of where things stand with him and the league re: the charges at this time? Absolutely.
And was it meant as a direct signal to those outside of the league and City’s battle? Yes, it was.
This was meant to send many messages to many entities, none of them positive for us.
In some ways, it was an escalation of the war.
And, whether or not he leaves in the summer, I think this was only one of many more aggressive volleys the club will be fielding soon.
There is a growing effort to not only isolate but completely discredit City as both a club and a business by the ever-expanding American ownership contingent within the league, spearheaded by the Arsenal and Liverpool ownership groups. It is becoming the dominant force within the league.
Masters being one of the first PL CEOs to essentially refuse to present the league winners with the trophy is just one of many more signals to come.