Arsenal gave Premier League champions Liverpool a "Guard of Honour" ahead of the match between the two teams at Anfield on Sunday.
Arteta said in his pre-match press conference that Liverpool deserved to be given one by his Arsenal team, who were Liverpool's main title challengers this season: "They deserve it," Arteta explained. "They've been the better team. What their coaching staff have done...and they fully deserve it and that's sport. When someone's better you have to respect that."
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Liverpool also received a guard of honour from Chelsea last Sunday in what was the Reds' first match since winning the 2024/25 title.
What is a guard of honour?
A guard of honour is the informal ceremony that takes place when a team plays a match after already securing the Premier League title. The players of the winning club - in this case, Liverpool - walk between two parallel lines of opposition players who stand and applaud. A guard of honour can take place regardless of whether the champions are playing at home or away.
Is a guard of honour compulsory?
There is no obligation or anything in the regulations that requires Premier League teams to provide a guard of honour. It is purely a voluntary show of respect for the achievements of their fellow professionals at another club.
Have there been any exceptions?
The only time that the tradition was slightly different came when Liverpool won the 2019/20 Premier League title with seven matches to spare during the pandemic-hit season, with all games played behind closed doors. Each of Liverpool’s last seven opponents gave Jurgen Klopp's side a guard of honour.
When has it happened in the Premier League?
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team are thought to be the first Premier League side to receive a guard of honour, at Goodison Park in May 2003. It was offered by their opponents Everton as the Red Devils had already been confirmed as champions prior to the match.
There have been 11 subsequent seasons when a guard of honour has taken place – with some champions enjoying the accolade on multiple occasions. Leicester City were provided with one by both Everton and Chelsea, in the final matches of the Foxes' fairytale 2015/16 title-winning campaign.
Manchester City walked out to a guard of honour four times following their 2017/18 title success, but it was Liverpool, in the pandemic-hit 2019/20 campaign, who have enjoyed the most to date, with seven occasions.
There have been some highly memorable – and sometimes awkward – guards of honour over the years.
In 2004/05, Man Utd, champions in the previous season, applauded Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea on to the pitch following their first-ever Premier League title success. There was little love lost between these two rivals and to rub salt into the wounds, Chelsea came from behind to win the match 3-1 at Old Trafford.
There was a total role reversal a couple of years later, however, when Man Utd, having wrestled the title back from Chelsea, were treated to a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge.
One of the most compelling – and for the neutral, entertaining – occasions came in 2013 when Robin van Persie returned to Arsenal for the first time since leaving the Gunners for Man Utd the previous summer. Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal players applauded Van Persie and his team-mates, but there were boos aplenty from the home fans. To make matters worse, the Dutchman scored a penalty for Man Utd to secure a 1-1 draw.
Examples of previous guards of honour
2003 - Everton for Man Utd
2005 - Man Utd for Chelsea’s first Premier League title
2007 - Chelsea for Man Utd
2011 - Blackpool for Man Utd
2013 - Arsenal for Man Utd
2015 - Liverpool for Chelsea
2016 - Everton and Chelsea for Leicester
2017 - Watford and Sunderland for Chelsea
2018 - Swansea, West Ham, Huddersfield and Brighton for Man City
2020 - Man City, Aston Villa, Brighton, Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle for Liverpool
2021 - Newcastle and Everton for Man City
2023 - Chelsea for Man City
Premier League guards of honour
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2004/05: Chelsea honoured by Man Utd after winning their first PL title
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2006/07: Man Utd flanked by Chelsea after winning the title with two matches to spare
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2010/11: Edwin van der Sar leads the way as Blackpool players applaud
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2012/13: Arsenal players applaud former team-mate Van Persie and title-winners Man Utd
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2012/13: Sir Alex Ferguson is honoured before his last home match as Man Utd manager, against Swansea City
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2014/15: Chelsea's fourth PL title success is acknowledged by Liverpool
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2016/17: Watford's players show their respect in Conte's title-winning debut season at Chelsea
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2017/18: Swansea were one of four teams to give Man City a guard of honour
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2017/18: Arsenal players show their respect before Wenger's final home match
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2019/20: Liverpool's first PL title success at an empty Etihad Stadium during the pandemic
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2020/21 - Champions Man City are clapped onto the pitch by Newcastle
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2022/23: A sea of blue at the Etihad Stadium as Chelsea applaud champions Man City
2004/05: Chelsea honoured by Man Utd after winning their first PL title
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2006/07: Man Utd flanked by Chelsea after winning the title with two matches to spare
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2010/11: Edwin van der Sar leads the way as Blackpool players applaud
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2012/13: Arsenal players applaud former team-mate Van Persie and title-winners Man Utd
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2012/13: Sir Alex Ferguson is honoured before his last home match as Man Utd manager, against Swansea City
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2014/15: Chelsea's fourth PL title success is acknowledged by Liverpool
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2016/17: Watford's players show their respect in Conte's title-winning debut season at Chelsea
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2017/18: Swansea were one of four teams to give Man City a guard of honour
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2017/18: Arsenal players show their respect before Wenger's final home match
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2019/20: Liverpool's first PL title success at an empty Etihad Stadium during the pandemic
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2020/21 - Champions Man City are clapped onto the pitch by Newcastle
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2022/23: A sea of blue at the Etihad Stadium as Chelsea applaud champions Man City
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Individual guards of honour
While a guard of honour is usually reserved for Premier League champions, there have been rare occasions when individuals have been honoured this way, most notably managers Ferguson, after bringing the curtain down on a glittering career at Old Trafford, and Klopp, on his last home match in charge of Liverpool in 2024.
On the playing side, both Chelsea and Sunderland gave the Blues’ captain John Terry a guard of honour to mark his final game for the club in 2017 before joining Aston Villa. Chelsea then gave him a second guard of honour in the middle of the match itself when he was subbed off after 26 minutes.
