Arsenal were forced to give a former hero a guard of honour less than a year after he left the club.
The Gunners faced Manchester United in their first match after securing the Premier League title back in April 2013.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side visited the Emirates Stadium six days after clinching top spot against Aston Villa.
Ahead of the match, the Arsenal players lined up to applaud their opponents as they entered the field.
Amongst the Red Devils stars was Robin van Persie, who had signed from the Gunners the previous summer.
The Dutch forward spent eight years in North London prior to his switch to Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was captain on the day and was forced to clap his former team-mate onto the pitch.
Van Persie and Arteta had made 37 appearances together during the 2011/12 season.
The Spaniard would later be named club captain by Arsene Wenger ahead of the following campaign.
Meanwhile, Van Persie scored from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw which succeeded the guard of honour.
His strike came after Theo Walcott put the hosts in front against the champions.
It was one of three goals Van Persie scored across six meetings with his old side.
The United hero also remained undefeated against Arsenal in those matches.
Fortunately for Arteta and Arsenal, there will be no former players in the Liverpool side which receives a guard of honour on Sunday.
The Gunners boss confirmed in his pre-match press conference that his players will applaud their opponents onto the pitch.
Asked about the pre-match routine, he told reporters: “They deserve that.
“They’ve been the best team, they’ve been the most consistent, what Arne [Slot] and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating, it’s been really good and they fully deserve it.
“And that’s the sport, when somebody is better you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level.”
Liverpool clinched the title last month with four matches of the season remaining.
They remain 15 points clear of Arsenal with three matches each to play, whilst the Gunners can all but secure Champions League qualification with a win.
