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Manchester United faced Arsenal in the Premier League on this day in 2013 as Robin van Persie returned to the Emirates, albeit in United colours. He, along with his United teammates, were given the customary guard of honour by the Gunners for their title triumph.
The Dutch striker spent eight years with the north London side, scoring 132 goals and making 58 assists in 278 games. Van Persie then moved to United in 2012 and was spectacular in his first season. He scored 26 goals and made 15 assists in 38 Premier League appearances, leading them to their 13th and latest title in the competition.
As he entered the pitch with United, Arsene Wenger's side gave the visitors a guard of honour. The game ended 1-1, with Van Persie cancelling out Theo Walcott's opener to force a share of the spoils.
The Dutch striker later revealed that he wasn't too comfortable with the guard of honour, saying in 2020 (via Express):
"Some of them were my friends, I spent eight years there, and I was just happy that it was over. I could see in their faces that they didn’t like it, which I get. And then you see me walking there, I was just happy that it was over. I think it’s a nice gesture to do towards the champions, but it just didn’t feel right, not for me and not for Arsenal."
He added:
"It was a little bit awkward there, so I didn’t feel really comfortable about that. From my point of view, it didn’t need to happen. Okay, it’s part of the rules and, from the basics, I did like it but not that particular day.”
"Arsenal got tired of me" - Robin van Persie on his transfer to Manchester United
The former Netherlands international spoke to BT Sport in 2019 about his transfer from the north London side to Manchester United. He said (via Express):
"You can compare me being at Arsenal to being married. Me and my wife - Arsenal - were married for eight years. After eight years, my wife, possibly got a bit tired of me. Those are the facts. If Arsenal are not offering you a new deal... you can have different views on things, but the fact is Arsenal never offered me a new deal."
He added:
"Then you have to look around. I was ambitious. I still wanted to win the league. That is life. I ended up having three options. One option abroad disappeared quickly. Then it was (Manchester) City or Manchester United."
He revealed that the Gunners didn't offer him a deal. Van Persie spoke to Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis, but a deal couldn't be figured out. The former striker said:
"What people don't know, during the transfer, loads of things are happening behind the scenes. You have to take a lot on and make a choice based on what your targets are but also deal with the facts. One of the main facts was that Arsenal got tired of me. That was the starting point - they didn't offer me a new deal. We had loads of chats with (Arsene) Wenger, with (Ivan) Gazidis."
Van Persie spent three seasons with Manchester United before moving to Fehnerbahce and eventually retired from the game in 2019.
