Arsenal Make Liverpool Guard of Honour Decision After Being Told to Refuse

Arsenal have now reached a decision on whether they will provide Liverpool with a guard of honour at Anfield this Sunday afternoon. The Reds received their first such tribute this past weekend, as Chelsea applauded the newly crowned 20-time Premier League champions onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

This long-standing tradition in English football is often seen as a gesture of respect and has quickly become commonplace. While new Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised it as one of the cultural nuances he appreciates about his new surroundings ahead of their 3-1 defeat to the Blues, the custom has faced growing criticism from others.

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney urged Arsenal to forgo the guard of honour when they visit Anfield on May 11. Meanwhile, pundits Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand echoed the dislike during a TNT Sports segment, calling the practice “embarrassing”.

Arsenal Are Expected To Give Liverpool Guard of Honour

The Gunners have ignored pleas to go against the grain

Providing the champions with a guard of honour is not compulsory and there is nothing in the Premier League rulebook that forces clubs to do so. But it is now understood, as per a report by the Daily Mail, that Mikel Arteta’s side will ignore Deeney’s pleas and applaud their rivals onto the pitch this weekend.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Gunners have had to do this – after all, during the Reds’ last title-winning campaign five years ago, seven teams paid their respects in total. Meanwhile, a more memorable occasion back in 2013 saw the north Londoners begrudgingly welcome Robin van Persie back to the Emirates Stadium after winning the league title with Manchester United. Watch the incident below:

While their own title challenge is over, being consigned to a third-straight term as bridesmaids, the Gunners remain in contention in the Champions League. They face Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital tomorrow night, hoping to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach the final, where they will face either Barcelona or Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.

On Sunday, Rangers declined to give a guard of honour to rivals Celtic, ahead of their 1-1 draw with the Scottish champions. But given the historical, religious, and political tensions between the two Glaswegian sides, there are stark differences, and the north Londoners will wish to stay away from the controversy Bernardo Silva found himself wrapped up in after opting to sip his coffee rather than acknowledge the Reds five years ago.