“Arsenal’s Bold Guard of Honour Choice Ignites Anticipation for High-Stakes Anfield Clash with Liverpool”
“Arsenal’s Bold Guard of Honour Decision Sets the Stage for Anfield Showdown with Liverpool”
For Arsenal, next weekend’s trip to Liverpool feels like a painful reminder of what could have been. The match at Anfield on Sunday marks the Reds’ first home game since securing the Premier League title with a dominant 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in late April.
Arne Slot’s team was given a guard of honour by Chelsea ahead of their 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge two days ago, although the traditional gesture has been heavily criticized by some pundits as an “embarrassing” spectacle.
Now, with Arsenal having been Liverpool’s closest competitors in the title race this season, the Gunners have reportedly made their decision regarding the tradition for the Anfield encounter.
Arsenal to Follow Guard of Honour Tradition
On Tuesday, Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail reported that Mikel Arteta’s team is expected to give Liverpool a guard of honour before kick-off, just as they did when the Reds last claimed the Premier League title in 2020. Sources within the north London club suggest that while the gesture is not obligatory, it is seen as a respectful show of sportsmanship that should be honored.
Arsenal’s Decision to Respect Liverpool Is the Right Call
Arsenal deserve credit for making the right choice, even if it will be a tough pill to swallow for Arteta and his players, having fallen short in the title race for the third consecutive season, this time to Liverpool’s advantage. Fans with long memories will recall how, back in 1998, Liverpool showed that same respect to Arsenal at Anfield after the Gunners had secured the Premier League title just days earlier. In other words, what goes around comes around.
In contrast, Rangers recently refused to give Celtic a guard of honour ahead of last Sunday’s Old Firm derby, despite Celtic being crowned champions the week before.
While it will undoubtedly be hard for Arsenal’s players and supporters to line up and applaud Liverpool onto the pitch in five days, they should channel any frustration into motivation to challenge for the title next season. Slot’s team are deserving champions, and regardless of how difficult it might be for their closest rivals, they deserve the respect of their opponents in the final matches of this season.