Arsenal Set to Honour Premier League Champions Liverpool at Anfield
This Sunday at Anfield won’t just be another blockbuster fixture in the Premier League calendar — it will be a moment of recognition, a ceremonial nod to dominance. As Liverpool prepare to play their first home game since securing the Premier League title, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that his Arsenal team will form a guard of honour to welcome the new champions onto the pitch.
Tradition and respect will collide in what promises to be a charged afternoon, one that encapsulates the highs and lows of football. While Liverpool will be basking in their triumph, Arsenal — for the third consecutive season — find themselves ruing missed chances, locked once again in the shadows of ‘what could have been’.
Respect Where It’s Due: Mikel Arteta on Honouring Arne Slot’s Liverpool
In a candid pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta showed grace in the face of another near-miss. When asked whether his side would line up to applaud Liverpool onto the pitch, his answer was as straightforward as it was respectful: “Yes, they deserve it.”
“They’ve been the better team, the most consistent,” Mikel Arteta admitted. “What Arne and his coaching staff have achieved this season is nothing short of fascinating. That’s the beauty and the cruelty of sport — someone is better, and you have to applaud, accept it, and work to get there yourself.”
For Mikel Arteta, the gesture goes beyond ceremonial tradition. It’s about acknowledging quality, consistency, and evolution — all elements that Arsenal have strived for under his leadership, but which Liverpool have mastered in the 2024/25 campaign.
The Weight of Missed Opportunities
Arsenal’s journey this season has mirrored much of their recent history under Mikel Arteta — promising, progressive, and yet ultimately unfulfilled in terms of silverware. Despite regularly hitting points tallies that would win the league in other eras, they’ve once again come up short.
“We’re not close — we’re there,” Mikel Arteta insisted, pushing back against the idea that Arsenal are still lagging behind the league’s elite. “With the amount of points we’ve picked up over the last three seasons, we could easily have two Premier League titles. But football doesn’t always reward you fairly.”
That sense of near-miss continues to hang over the club. In 2023, it was a late-season collapse. In 2024, a string of drawn games they should have won. And now, in 2025, despite being neck-and-neck with the top for most of the campaign, Liverpool’s relentlessness has proved too much.
Liverpool’s Anfield Coronation
Arne Slot’s side are preparing for a well-earned homecoming celebration at Anfield. Having mathematically sealed the title with three games to spare, their final home matches will now take on a festive air — but also one of reflection. They’ve navigated the highs and lows of the season with a squad that has evolved and adapted impressively under their new manager.
For Slot, inheriting the reins from Jürgen Klopp was never going to be easy. But he’s managed to stamp his own tactical identity onto a group of players who have responded with belief and precision. From revitalising Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hybrid role, to maximising Darwin Núñez’s unpredictability, and unlocking the full potential of midfield signings like Szoboszlai, this has been a season of synergy.
And now, in the final weeks of the season, the recognition is starting to pour in — from the media, from fans, and from rivals like Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s Recent Struggles Add Sting to the Salute
The guard of honour comes at a particularly delicate time for Arsenal. Having exited the Champions League in heartbreaking fashion against Paris Saint-Germain and picked up just six points from their last five Premier League fixtures, their domestic form has dipped considerably. Confidence has taken a hit, and top-four status is not mathematically secured.
With three matches to go, Mikel Arteta knows the narrative can still swing either way. “We went out [of the Champions League] proud, yes. But now we must finish strong,” he said, his tone mixing frustration and determination. “We can’t win the league anymore, but we can control how we close this chapter. We owe it to ourselves, to the supporters.”
The team’s inconsistency has been all the more baffling given how they started the season. Strong in possession, defensively compact, and blessed with one of the most balanced midfields in Europe, Arsenal looked poised for a statement season. But tight losses and untimely injuries—particularly to key players like Gabriel Jesus and Saliba—derailed their title charge.
What the Guard of Honour Means in 2025
In English football, the guard of honour is more than just theatre. It’s an unwritten gesture of sportsmanship, one that dates back to the 1950s. But it’s not always followed religiously — particularly beyond the first game after the title is won. That’s what makes Arsenal’s decision so noteworthy.
By offering the guard at Liverpool’s first home game as champions — not just their next match — Mikel Arteta and his players are acknowledging the emotional weight of Anfield as a venue, and of this moment in the Reds’ season.
For younger players like Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, walking the fine line between competitiveness and respect is part of their development. It’s a message from their manager, too: that pride and professionalism can coexist, even when it hurts.
Looking Ahead: What Next for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal?
If there’s a silver lining for Arsenal, it’s the clarity of direction. Under Mikel Arteta, they have a defined style, a cohesive squad, and a core of players approaching their peak. But the next step — the hardest one — is turning potential into medals.
As the Gunners prepare to face Liverpool, then Manchester United and Brighton in their final fixtures, there’s still plenty to play for. Champions League qualification, while likely, must be secured. And the tone with which they end the season could ripple into the summer transfer window — a period Mikel Arteta has previously used to great effect.
Final Thoughts: A Salute, and a Challenge
This Sunday’s guard of honour at Anfield will be symbolic. Not just of Liverpool’s excellence, but of Arsenal’s respect for the journey. It will sting. It always does when you’re not the one being applauded. But it will also serve as a mirror — a moment of reflection for Mikel Arteta and his men to see what they’re chasing.
And maybe, just maybe, next year they’ll be the ones walking out to applause.
