Mikel Arteta Confirms Arsenal Will Give Liverpool Guard of Honour at Anfield

With the season nearing its conclusion, Arsenal find themselves trailing newly crowned champions Liverpool by a significant 15-point margin.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that his team will pay tribute to newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool by giving them a guard of honour ahead of their clash at Anfield this Sunday.

While clubs have no obligation to give a guard of honour, the gesture has become a tradition in English football to acknowledge the league winners. Liverpool received a guard of honour last weekend from Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and Arteta’s side will follow suit in front of the Anfield crowd.

The Gunners have previously honoured Liverpool in similar fashion, having provided a guard of honour during the 2019–20 season after the Reds secured the title under Jurgen Klopp. That occasion also came under Arteta’s stewardship.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta confirmed Arsenal’s plans,

“They deserve that. They’ve been the best team, they’ve been the most consistent, what Arne [Slot] and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating. It’s been really good and they fully deserve it. And that’s the sport, when somebody is better you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level.”

Mikel Arteta: “We will give Liverpool a guard of honour. They deserve it. They have been the better team, they have been the most consistent”.

“That is the sport, when somebody is better than you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level.” pic.twitter.com/TqL3h1X2zt
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) May 9, 2025

Arsenal Have Gone Backwards in the League: Arteta

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted that his side have “taken a step backwards” in the Premier League this season, following a campaign that has fallen well short of expectations.

After narrowly missing out on the title to Manchester City by just two points last year, Arsenal fans had high hopes from their team to mount another serious challenge. However, with the season nearing its conclusion, Arsenal find themselves trailing newly crowned champions Liverpool by a significant 15-point margin.

ALSO READ: ‘Watching Arsenal Is Like Netflix’ – Former UCL Winner Took a Cheeky Dig at Arsenal and Now It Has Come True

Reflecting on their campaign, Arteta said,

“In the Premier League we’ve gone a step backwards. With the points that we have created it is clear that we have not done as good as last season, and that’s obvious.”

“But with the amount of points that we have generated in the last few seasons, we could have won two Premier League titles. So you know how close we are. We are providing the numbers that win you titles.”

Arsenal also bowed out of the Champions League this week, losing 2-1 on Wednesday night and 3-1 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain. The result ended the Gunners’ hopes of reaching their first Champions League final since 2006.

Arsenal

Liverpool

Mikel Arteta

Premier League

Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.