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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lee Wilmot

Arsene Wenger finally admits truth about iconic Manchester United moment at Old Trafford in 2009

It is one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history - Arsene Wenger standing with arms outstretched on a platform in the stands at Old Trafford.

Everyone remembers it.

The Frenchman had just been sent off late on in the game between United and Arsenal in 2009, a game that United won 2-0 to halt the Gunners' perfect start to the new campaign.

Wenger had got frustrated by a disallowed Robin van Persie goal in injury-time that would have made it 2-2 and kicked a water bottle on the sidelines.

Fourth official Lee Probert alerted referee Mike Dean and Dean brandished a red card, sending him to the stands.

Except Wenger didn't know where to go.

The Arsenal boss made his way to the stands and could not find a seat, so instead went and stood on a platform in front of the United fans, who took great delight in haranguing him.

And when Dean asked him to move, Wenger stood there, with arms outstretched, as if to say 'where do I go'?

The Arsenal boss was eventually escorted from the stands and down the tunnel as the match petered out to a 2-1 win for United.

The pictures of Wenger on the platform are iconic, synonymous with the vagaries of Premier League football.

Wenger later admitted that he had kicked the bottle not out of anger at the decision to rule the goal out, but anger at his team's failure to equalise.

And now Wenger has told the truth about standing on the platform instead of finding a seat in the stands.

The move was clearly provocative and aimed at Dean, for whom the PGMOL later apologised for the red card, but was Wenger really in doubt as to where he should go? No.

Wenger was a guest on BeIn Sports Champions League coverage this week and in opening the show, Richard Keys brought up that 2009 moment.

He said: "That is still, Arsene, one of my favourite pictures of you, standing at Old Trafford with your arms out and saying 'where do you want me to go. You were being a little provocative weren't you, you knew exactly where to go."

And Wenger finally told the truth.

He responded: "I knew yes."

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