Liverpool take on Arsenal in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday afternoon
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Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta.
Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta.(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are expected to follow Chelsea’s lead and give Liverpool a guard of honour this weekend. The gesture has become a tradition over the years, however, clubs are under no obligation to do so, as it is not a Premier League rule.
But after Chelsea gave Liverpool one at Stamford Bridge last weekend, the ECHO understands that Mikel Arteta’s side are expected to honour Arne Slot’s champions as they take to the field on Sunday afternoon. It wouldn’t be the first time that the Gunners have given the Reds a guard of honour, as before a Premier League fixture at the Emirates back in July 2020, Arsenal applauded Jurgen Klopp’s side on to the pitch.
Asked last week whether Liverpool winning the league has hurt him, Arteta admitted: “Yes, big time.
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“I understand that it’s a team who have been more consistent; they’ve had the ingredients to win it and it’s been painful."
However, the Gunners boss would go on to be very complimentary towards the Reds, saying: “I want to congratulate Liverpool and what they’ve done, the manner they’ve done it and how consistent they’ve been, and I think they fully deserved to win it.
“They’ve been the better team, had the better attributes, had their squad available consistently and we are going to try again.
“They’ve had this distraction (contract negotiations with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold), but they still had them on the pitch the whole time, which is positive.
“They are a club who, over the last 10 years, have been fighting for trophies, winning big trophies like the Champions League. They are deserved champions.”
A number of Chelsea supporters booed as their side gave Liverpool a guard of honour on Sunday.
Asked about the reception after the game, Slot said: “I didn't hear it, to be honest. I only heard our fans during almost the whole game.
“I just heard that they couldn't come here on trains, so they had to go by car. But they were on time and they were loud throughout the whole game. I haven't heard anyone booing - I only heard our fans singing.”