Summary
Liverpool seem set to win their 20th league title in Arne Slot's first season in charge after Arsenal drew 1-1 with Manchester United.
It could see Arsenal giving the Reds a guard of honour when the two sides meet at Anfield on May 10th.
Last time Liverpool were given a guard of honour, Bernardo Silva refused to clap, sparking a series of back-and-forth drama.
After another weekend where Liverpool secured all three points while Arsenal managed only one, the Reds now appear destined to claim their second Premier League title in five years. Under Arne Slot, Mohamed Salah and co. have been imperious, suffering just one league defeat in the Dutchman’s maiden campaign.
Before the 2024/25 season began, Arsenal seemed poised to take the crown. For the best part of two years, they had been the "champions in waiting," relying on Manchester City to falter. Now that City have stumbled, it is Liverpool - 19-time English champions - who have seized control. Following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United, the gap has widened to a daunting 15 points, leaving the north Londoners with nothing more than a mathematical prayer.
While the Anfield faithful will no doubt be over the moon with Slot’s impressive start, many across England are far less enthused about the Reds marching toward their record-equalling 20th league title. Among those probably feeling most unimpressed is Bernardo Silva, whose history with Liverpool fans has been anything but straightforward as he refused to raise a glass during their last climb to the pinnacle of domestic football.
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When Liverpool Can Win the PL & Who Might Have to Give Them a Guard of Honour
If things all play out in Liverpool's favour, they may win one of the earliest titles in Premier League history.
When Bernardo Silva Refused to Clap Liverpool After 2020 Win
He was spotted drinking coffee in the last guard of honour
The last time Liverpool were crowned kings of England, back in the 2019/20 season, the circumstances were anything but ordinary. With stadiums eerily empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their triumph played out in silence. Yet, such was their dominance in that surreal campaign that they clinched the title with seven games to spare - leaving nearly half the league with little choice but to roll out the red carpet for a guard of honour.
Most opponents showed respect, but not Bernardo Silva. The Manchester City midfielder, known for his hardnosed approach and insatiable hunger for silverware, made his feelings crystal clear. While his teammates begrudgingly applauded Klopp’s champions, Silva was spotted casually sipping coffee, refusing to lift his hands in recognition. Watch the incident below:
The then-25-year-old then even appeared to leave the line sooner than his City teammates and began making his way to the touchline before every single member of Liverpool's starting line-up had made their way past him and their City counterparts.
However, before the match - which saw the newly crowned champions suffer a humbling 4-0 defeat - Klopp had notably downplayed the significance of the guard of honour, insisting he wasn’t particularly concerned about the gesture. "I am not sure if I've ever got [a guard of honour] but it was long ago that I won something in Germany," the Reds' boss said at the time, as per Daily Mail.
"I think we had three more matchdays to go, and it's not really a German tradition, but it is an English one and a Premier League one. So we take it, it is a nice gesture, 100%. I wouldn't need it to be honest."
Liverpool Fans Exact Revenge a Month Later
Reds' supporters later provoked the Portuguese man into an online outburst
Bernardo Silva
Silva's disrespectful actions ensured that Liverpool fans would be on the lookout for ways to get back at him. Fortunately for them, it didn’t take long for an opportunity to present itself. Less than a month after refusing to clap for the Reds, Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League - the very competition Liverpool had won for a sixth time the season before.
The Citizens were defeated 3-1 by seventh-placed Ligue 1 side Lyon, and Reds' supporters wasted no time piling on Silva with online criticism. The barrage of comments eventually pushed him into retaliating with an outburst of his own on social media. He posted to X (see the post below):
"And to all Liverpool fans that have nothing else to do than to come to a Man City player account, I’m also sorry for you, but for the wrong reasons… pathetic… go celebrate your titles, or try to find a partner, drink a beer with a friend, read a book… so many options!”
This feud came during a time when Man City seemed allergic to success overseas, and it's safe to judge that Liverpool had the last laugh when it came to their back-and-forth exchange with Silva. Given the current gap between the two clubs this season, however, it seems unlikely that there will be another chapter to this discontinued drama.