Maresca Affirms Chelsea Will honour Liverpool with Well-Deserved Guard of Honour

Chelsea will pay tribute to Liverpool with a guard of honour when they welcome the newly-crowned Premier League champions to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, as confirmed by manager Enzo Maresca.

Liverpool clinched their record-equalling 20th top-flight title last weekend, establishing an unassailable 15-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal with four matches remaining.

While there are no formal rules compelling clubs to offer a guard of honour to the champions, Maresca expressed his intention for his players to line up and greet Arne Slot’s team before the match kicks off.

“It’s a tradition; it’s something you should do, and we want to do it. Firstly, they won the league, so they deserve that, and hopefully, we can be there (as champions) very soon,” Maresca stated to reporters.

“I don’t think we need that to appreciate how significant it is to win the Premier League. We recognise it’s a remarkable achievement.

“However, when you’re in their position, the players are probably thinking, ‘I would like to experience that one day.’

Players from Liverpool will be able to shake hands with their Chelsea counterparts, a change from the last title celebration in 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions prevented this interaction.

During that season, Liverpool secured the title with seven matches to go, and every team they encountered until the conclusion of the campaign—including Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle United—offered them a guard of honour.

Chelsea also provided a guard of honour to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2023.

With ambitions to secure a top-five finish and a place in the Champions League, Chelsea were granted a boost when Nottingham Forest, who are tied on 60 points with the London side, fell to Brentford on Thursday.

Despite Liverpool having claimed the title, Maresca believes the Reds will not ease off.

“It’s always exciting to participate in matches like this, but I don’t expect them to approach it any differently or become complacent just because they have won the title,” he remarked.

“They’re a very strong team and fully deserved their Premier League victory this season. The gap is evident, as you can clearly see. I believe we are heading in the right direction, and hopefully, we can narrow that gap next season.

“Perhaps the key difference is their remarkable consistency compared to us throughout the season.”