Ferguson delivered this poser amid the pyrotechnics and partying to mark a third successive title win, a feat that ensured Manchester United hit the hugely-significant landmark of 18 championships, drawing level with Liverpool at the pinnacle of the domestic game.
This statistic alone underscores the scale of Ferguson’s achievements when he insisted United would return from “a nice trip to Rome” as the first club to defend the Champions League.
For now, however, another title triumph and another demonstration of the unique drive, hunger and longevity of Ferguson will suffice.
Rafael Benitez grabbed a few more headlines on Saturday morning with a mystifying claim that the best team does not always win the title, it just means they have more points than anyone else.
Not so Rafa. Not so at all. Any argument is always won by the team holding the trophy and no-one can seriously discredit them.
However much it hurts, the best team always wins the title and, despite a chequered record against those regarded as their closest rivals, this Manchester United team are worthy winners of the Premier League for an 11th time.
Arsenal, playing with the ease of a team knowing all pressure was off, were determined to make sure the point required was not delivered as a formality, but United’s motto this season could be “job done”, and so it proved again.
This is what they have done so often in a gripping chase when they were pursued, first doggedly and then thrillingly, by Liverpool. It is the mark of champions and they will be the yardstick again next season, even though they will face renewed challenges.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were pushed to the margins of the action by Arsenal, so it was left to others to make the key contributions. Nemanja Vidic’s running battle with Robin van Persie was highly-watchable and the Serb’s solidity won through, while Darren Fletcher ran his usual marathon and demonstrated what United will miss in Rome.
Rooney may not have had joy in the danger zones, but his overall performance deserves a glowing mention in dispatches. He has been an inspirational figure for United, and while he has been justifiably criticised in the past for ill-discipline, he was superb tactically against Arsenal.
Ferguson designated him a left-flank role, and it was a sign of his growing maturity that he sacrificed his natural attacking instincts to carry off this more restricted part, even appearing on occasions as a last line of defence behind Patrice Evra.
Rooney’s willingness to put the team first was a shining example of the ethos fostered by Ferguson and one which he insists must be strictly adhered to.
And lurking behind it all, like some dark sub-plot, was the continuing fall-out from the Carlos Tevez affair, a business so emotive that it cast a temporary cloud of dischord over what were mostly joyous proceedings.
The jeers rang around Old Trafford, only to be quickly replaced by the sound of mass adoration for Tevez, who responded with the sort of lengthy and flamboyant farewell that screamed out this was his final appearance as a United player on this particular turf.
He clearly felt if something was worth doing it was worth over-doing - but at one point there appeared the genuine prospect that he might decide to say a personal goodbye to each of the 75,468 present.
Tevez lingered too long in my opinion. No harm in saluting the fans, but this bordered on the provocative, with a result still to be achieved, and Ferguson’s victory speech was even interrupted by chants of “sign him on.”
All very odd, but if Ferguson is balking at paying £32m for Tevez he is correct to do so because that is an exorbitant amount for this particular player. If Ferguson has £32m to spend, he is well within his rights to see if he can do better with it than Tevez.
And this little spat should take none of the gloss off a day, and a season, that has brought deserved rewards for United and Ferguson.
It has been a season when Rooney and Michael Carrick have matured in a manner that will be mutually beneficial for United and England, while Ryan Giggs rolled back the years to show why he fully deserves his place in the pantheon of Old Trafford greats.
United have also shown resilience to respond to a minor stumble when they were heavily beaten by Liverpool and lost at Fulham - delivering drama along the way with Federico Macheda’s crucial winners against Aston Villa and Sunderland.
They also had the huge stroke of good fortune champions need along the way when referee Howard Webb gift-wrapped them a lifeline with a rotten penalty decision that put them on the path to victory on a pivotal day against Spurs.
United even survived the infamous “Rafa Rant” - which was not actually a rant at all but delivered with some precision - by turning the outburst into something which appeared to focus their minds wonderfully.
If Benitez regrets the timing of his attack it is unlikely he will admit it, but it did not have a positive effect on Liverpool’s attempt to win the title and he was reminded of this to deafening effect on countless occasions once the fireworks went off at Old Trafford.
This was another glory day for the remarkable Ferguson, who was already setting his sights on new successes as he strode into the dressing room to congratulate his players.
He knows it can get better for United - and with Ferguson showing no sign of either mellowing or becoming less successful with age, it almost certainly will.
The march on Rome began in the immediate aftermath of this silver-lined day and Ferguson will want to leave a record-breaking 19th title as part of his Old Trafford legacy.
