Chelsea will give Liverpool a guard of honour when they host the newly-crowned English Premier League champions on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, manager Enzo Maresca said.
Liverpool sealed a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title last weekend when they took an unassailable 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal with four games to spare.
Although there is no rule or obligation for clubs to give the champions a guard of honour, Maresca said his players would line up to welcome Arne Slot’s side ahead of Sunday’s contest.
“I think it’s a tradition, it’s something you have to do and we want to do. First of all, they won the league, so they deserve that, and hopefully we can be there (as champions) very soon,” Maresca told reporters.
“I don’t think we need that to understand how good it is to win the Premier League. We know that it’s something very nice.
“But for sure when you are there, probably in their mind (the players) are thinking ‘I would like one day to be there’.”
Liverpool’s players will be allowed to shake their opponents’ hands after they were barred following their last title win in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Then Liverpool had won the title with seven games to spare and every team they faced until the end of the season — Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United — gave them a guard of honour.
Chelsea also gave Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City a guard of honour in 2023.
Chelsea are on a mission to finish in the top five and qualify for the UEFA Champions League and the fifth-placed team were handed a lifeline when Nottingham Forest — level with the London side on 60 points — lost on Thursday to Brentford.
Despite sealing the title, Maresca does not think Liverpool will take their foot off the gas.
“It’s always nice to play in this kind of game, but I don’t think they will be any different or relaxed because they have already won the title,” he added.
“They are a very good team and deserved to win the Premier League this season. The gap is there, you can see clearly. My feeling is we are in the right direction and hopefully this gap can be smaller and closer next season.
“Perhaps the difference (between the two teams) is that they have probably been a lot more consistent compared to us over the entire season.”
Reuters
