Arsenal and Manchester United have always had a fierce rivalry, but Gunners fans were left furious when the club sold striker Robin van Persie to their arch-rivals back in 2012.
The two Premier League heavyweights were once scrapping for top spot, but they have both fallen from their perch and now they meet on Saturday with a place in the top four the potential prize for the winning side. It's seen a as must-win game for Arsenal who will be hoping that the Emirates advantage can help their cause, but the home crowd that once adored Van Persie quickly turned due to United's interference.
The Red Devils poached the Dutchman back in 2012 much to the disgust of the Arsenal fans, and to make matters worse he helped United win their 20th title in his first season. Van Persie has since come out and admitted he has no regrets leaving Arsenal, and here Mirror Football takes a look at how the Dutchman could unnerve the Gunners again after ditching them a decade ago.
The move from Arsenal to United
Not many players have featured for both Arsenal and United as the tense rivalry remains, which is why the move was met with such fury in the Gunners camp, and elation amongst the Red Devils. Van Persie signed for Arsenal back in 2004 and quickly became a loved figure at the club, before eventually being given the captain's armband.
After winning the Premier League golden boot during the 2011/12 season, Van Persie's head was turned by United and he announced in July that he would not be signing a new contract at the club. Six weeks later, Arsenal had agreed to sell their best player to their fierce rivals, and they received just £24million for their captain.
Van Persie then scored home and away against Arsenal the following season, before helping United lift the Premier League title while the Gunners settled for fourth. That remained the only title he won at Old Trafford before leaving in 2015.
The secret meeting
It looked as though Van Persie would sign a bumper new deal at Arsenal all season, but then suddenly at the end of the campaign he announced that he would not commit to a new contract. There had been rumours that United had been interested in approaching the Dutchman, and it was later revealed that it was Sir Alex Ferguson that convinced Van Persie to quit Arsenal.
Van Persie said back in 2014: "My decision to come to Manchester was partly because of the presence of Ferguson, or excuse me, Sir Alex. And he told me he'd stay for another three years. I enjoyed his approach." But Ferguson didn't stay, he retired, and his United career was never the same.
The Dutchman's head was turned though, and he clearly had options heading into contractual talks with Arsenal, as he held a secret meeting with club officials at the end of his final season. The talks were obviously unsuccessful, and to sub salt in the wound, Van Persie revealed at the time: "I personally have had a great season, but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the team back to its glory days.
"Unfortunately, in this meeting, it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward." Not only were Arsenal fans upset with Van Persie, they were frustrated with the club as their lack of ambition was clear to see.
The interview
Van Persie was delighted when his move to United was completed, and Arsenal fans had to watch on as he hailed the club that had been his rival for eight years. The Dutchman revealed in an interview after signing that the 'little boy' in him was screaming for United, while deciding if he should stay at Arsenal.
The Dutchman said upon signing for United: "I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations – when you have to make the harder decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United.
"From my side, and Arsenal as well, there are no hard feelings. There were certain elements which were vital to me that we had a different view. That is life. Nobody is angry at me and I'm not angry at them." That wasn't strictly true, as most Arsenal fans are still angry with him to this day.
How Van Persie may return
Since leaving United in 2015, Van Persie headed to Turkey to play for Fenerbahce, and he ended his career with boyhood club Feyenoord. The Dutchman has been in the Netherlands ever since, and he is now a coach at Feyenoord after hanging up his boots.
Arsenal fans may have thought that Van Persie's time helping United was over, but he may return as incoming boss Erik ten Hag reportedly wants to employ him as part of his coaching staff. This could be bad news for Arsenal if the Dutch pairing are successful, and similarly to Cristiano Ronaldo's son, Van Persie's youngster would transfer over to their academy too.
Not only could the Dutchman be part of the revolution under Ten Hag, if his son were to make it as a professional then a whole new generation of Van Persie could begin at United. Both Arsenal and United are sleeping giants who are tackling a rebuild, and their rivalry could even intensify further as they both battle for stability.
