Mikel Arteta has announced that his Arsenal team will honor Liverpool with a ‘guard of honour’ during their encounter at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
In their first match following their official confirmation as Premier League champions, Liverpool received applause from two lines of Chelsea players at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
This ceremonial gesture has been a longstanding tradition in English football since the 1950s, although it is not always observed beyond the initial recognition match.
Arteta acknowledged this week that Arne Slot’s team ‘deserved’ to be celebrated for their accomplishment in their first home game as champions of the top flight.
‘They have been the superior team, the most consistent,’ the Arsenal manager admitted after finishing third in the title race for the third consecutive season.
‘What Arne and the coaching staff have achieved is remarkable; it has been truly impressive. That is the nature of sport.
When someone excels, you must acknowledge and accept it, and strive to reach that standard.
‘ Arsenal narrowly lost the Premier League title to Manchester City in the last two seasons, despite accumulating over 80 points. ‘We are in contention.
Given the points we have amassed over the past few seasons, we could have secured two Premier League titles,’ Arteta lamented.
‘We are not far off; we are in the mix. We are producing the results that lead to championships.
We need a bit more luck, perform better, and hope that no one surpasses us.
‘ The club’s declining domestic performance—Arsenal’s six points from their last five matches is surpassed by eight other teams—has been somewhat mitigated by their progress to the Champions League semi-finals.
However, following a disappointing exit against Paris Saint-Germain midweek, attention now turns to the final three league matches of a season that could still end poorly, as Arsenal’s qualification for next season’s Champions League is not assured.
‘We exited the Champions League with pride, and we must ensure we conclude the season strongly,’ Arteta cautioned.
We cannot win the Premier League, but with three games to go, we have to make ourselves proud and compete in the end in the manner we deserve.”