Arsenal face the prospect of having to give Liverpool a guard of honour with the Reds close to being crowned Premier League champions. The tradition dates back years with the title winners being granted due respect, with Sir Alex Ferguson among those to show such humility.
The Gunners look set to finish second once again, but have been unable to mount a challenge this term. Defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side against Crystal Palace on Wednesday would see the trophy head to Anfield, but a victory for Arne Slot’s side against Tottenham at the weekend would also seal the title.
Liverpool‘s next three fixtures see them face Tottenham, Chelsea and then Arsenal. Should the title party be delayed then it could end with the Gunners heading to face the Reds on May 11 with Liverpool the new champions – and potentially expecting a guard of honour.
The nature of the rivalry between the two sides would make it more emotional for those who came up short, but Brendan Rodgers previously recalled how Ferguson granted one to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side at Old Trafford when they dominated the top flight in 2005.
The ex-Liverpool boss, a former Chelsea coach, admits it left a mark on him when they received one at Old Trafford and believes it was Ferguson who led the decision – also insisting it can act as great fuel for the runners-up going forward.
He said previously: “I can never forget when I was at Chelsea as a young coach and, in that first season that Jose was in, they won the title. I remember going to Old Trafford to watch the game that evening and I’m sure the Man United players didn’t want to do it but I’m sure Fergie insisted they did it.
“That must have been really, really difficult but it showed you the class of Sir Alex and it showed you the humility of him that another competitor came in and took the title, but it was also sporting that they did that, but also can provide you with great motivation going forward.”
There are no rules dictating that sides must do it, but instead it is a tradition to show respect to the title winners. Players in the past have been seen refusing to clap, especially when they do so to direct rivals or they are the outgoing champions.
It could be the second time in recent years that Arsenal would have given a guard of honour, having also provided a one back in 2020 when Liverpool were crowned champions. Fans of the north Londoners have been vocal in their displeasure at offering one as they continue to come up narrowly short.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.