Arsenal greeted Liverpool with a guard of honour before their game on Sunday
Arne Slot's side took home the title with four games to go at the end of April
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By YASEEN ZAMAN
Published: 11:52 EDT, 11 May 2025 | Updated: 12:05 EDT, 11 May 2025
Arsenal had to give Liverpool a humbling guard of honour at Anfield ahead of their Premier League clash on Sunday.
After beating Tottenham 5-1 at the end of last month, Liverpool pipped the Gunners to the title with four games to go and a 15-point lead, making Arne Slot's side the joint-third earliest champions in Premier League history.
Arsenal have trailed Liverpool since November, with the Reds sitting in first place for the past six months.
Although there is no obligation in the Premier League regulations to give the title-winning team a guard of honour, Mikel Arteta explained before the game that Liverpool deserve one for their achievements this season.
'They deserve it,' he said. 'They've been the better team. What their coaching staff have done...and they fully deserve it and that's sport. When someone's better you have to respect that.'
Liverpool become the 12th Premier League side to receive the guard of honour since it was first performed in the English top-flight 22 years ago.
Arsenal had to give Liverpool a guard of honour ahead of their Premier League clash at Anfield
Mikel Arteta stated before the game that Arne Slot's side 'deserved' to be honoured in this way
Manchester United are believed to be the first side to receive a guard of honour, having been serenaded by Everton at Goodison Park in May 2003.
Despite not winning the league since 2020, this is the second consecutive year in which fans at Anfield have witnessed a guard of honour at the end of the season.
In Jurgen Klopp's final home match in charge of Liverpool, he was honoured by players and staff in front of the Merseyside crowd.