Wayne Rooney admits Man United 8-2 win over Arsenal left him 'uncomfortable'

Wayne Rooney has admitted Manchester United's 8-2 demolition of Arsenal in 2011 and the Old Trafford crowd's mockery of Arsene Wenger left him feeling 'uncomfortable'.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side inflicted the Gunners' heaviest league defeat since 1927 on an astonishing afternoon at Old Trafford in which Rooney scored a hat-trick.

The former United striker relished the battles between the two teams that often determined who would go on to win the Premier League title.

But when the threat of Wenger's team dipped, Rooney didn't enjoy fans 'taking the mickey' out of their rivals.

The two teams meet at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon with Arsenal winning all five of their games so far under Mikel Arteta.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Rooney said: 'By 2009, though, the fixture was not quite the test of old.

'First Chelsea and then [Manchester] City became our closest rivals and Arsenal weren't the Arsenal you used to play against - not because they didn't have quality, but because they didn't have the characters they had before.

'This was summed up when we beat them 8-2 in August 2011.

'I scored a hat-trick but look back on the game with mixed feelings. It was a bit uncomfortable, really.

'I love Wenger and have a lot of respect for him and seeing him being mocked by fans with 8-2 on the scoreboard was not something I enjoyed.

'Even Nani's goal, when he lobbed Wojciech Szczesny, felt like taking the mickey.'

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for United that afternoon, before Ashley Young doubled their lead. Rooney scored the first of his treble just before half-time, before Theo Walcott pulled one back.

United ran riot in the second-half, with Rooney getting the fourth, Nani the fifth and Park JI-Sung the sixth.

Robin van Persie got a consolation for the visitors before Gunners defender Carl Jenkinson picked up a second yellow card.

Rooney completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Young rounded things off with an eighth in stoppage time.

United were pipped to the title by City thanks to Sergio Aguero's dramatic late winner on the final afternoon, while Arsenal finished a distant third.

A repeat of that 8-2 scoreline on Sunday looks highly unlikely after a rejuvenated Arsenal started the season in stunning form.

United, however, have won their last three games as Erik ten Hag's era takes shape following defeats to Brighton and Brentford to kick-off the season.