Van Persie's title claim after showing where Arsenal and Man Utd loyalties lie

27 March 2023 , 05:00

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Van Persie's title claim after showing where Arsenal and Man Utd loyalties lie

Robin van Persie has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title - insisting he would be "happy for them to win it".

Van Persie, who left the Gunners for Manchester United in the summer of 2012, was asked for his opinion after appearing in a legend's game between Rangers and a World XI at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table - eight points clear of Manchester City in second having played a game more.

Van Persie won the Premier League title with United in May 2013 and visited their Carrington training ground in February to conduct an interview with Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman's recent trip to Greater Manchester suggests he's still a fan of the Red Devils.

Robin van Persie left Arsenal for Manchester United (Getty Images)

Yet his title prediction shows he still has a lot of love for the Gunners. Van Persie told Sky Sports, "If you look at this period of time, this is where every single point really counts.

"They've got [had] a couple of difficult games. They got the three points there, so that is what a champion's team is made of. They've been proving that. But the last stretch is always the difficult one, so it'll be interesting to see.

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"But my personal feeling is that they will go for it - that they will win the league. It's been a while, so I'm happy for them to win it."

Robin van Persie won the Premier League title with Manchester United (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

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Arsenal have established their commanding lead at the top of the Premier League by winning six consecutive games. Mikel Arteta's side still have a long way to go before they can start celebrating, with trips to Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle on the horizon.

Arsenal and United fans have wondered where Van Persie's loyalties lie since he left Old Trafford in the summer 2015. The forward dropped a big hint during an interview with BBC Sport in 2021, when he was asked to name the most talented footballer he played alongside during his time in the Premier League.

Van Persie replied: "[It is] So difficult to name one. I would go for Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy."

Van Persie's response was intriguing, as he named four United legends but just two Arsenal icons. The former Netherlands star played alongside Bergkamp and Henry at Highbury, while Giggs, Scholes and Rooney were his team-mates at Old Trafford. United hero Van Nistelrooy and Van Persie were team-mates at international level.

Van Persie was Arsenal's best player when he ditched Arsene Wenger's side for Sir Alex Ferguson's title contenders 12-and-a-half years ago. Many Gunners fans will never forgive the Dutchman because of how the transfer unfolded.

Arsenal were forced to sell Van Persie after he ran down his contract. The player made the situation worse by saying the "little boy inside of me" encouraged him to join United. He later admitted he "should have chosen different words".

Tom Blow