Arsene Wenger was taken by surprise by a pre-match presentation of a special gift from former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
Wenger’s near 22-year stay at Arsenal will conclude at the end of the season and he watched a young XI lose 2-1 thanks to a late Marouane Fellaini header on Sunday in the Premier League.
Legendary United boss Ferguson was on hand to greet his old rival by the dugouts before the game, with Jose Mourinho also embracing Wenger warmly ahead of kick-off.
And Wenger said he had not expected such a positive response from the United fans ahead of the match, although some home supporters later mocked him by singing “Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay” during the game.
“Very nice, it’s classy and I enjoyed it,” Wenger said to Sky Sports of the pre-match presentation.
“I have come here for a long, long time and next time someone else will come here and get a hostile reception.
“It’s a bit surprising because it was not always what you would imagine, but it shows life goes on and sometimes it gets better.”
