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Liverpool will take to the field for the first time as newly-crowned Premier League champions on Sunday as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are still fighting tooth and nail for a spot in next season’s Champions League and should be well up for it as a result.

For Liverpool, their job has already been done this season.



The Reds could lose all four of their remaining fixtures and it would not matter one bit.

Still, having been confirmed as Premier League winners last week, Liverpool will want to put on a show and underline their status as champions at one of the division’s toughest away grounds.

That determination should be reinforced when they receive a guard of honour from Chelsea at the start of Sunday’s match.

When the Reds take to the field at Stamford Bridge they will do so having been clapped on by Enzo Maresca’s men.

But although the guard of honour is a long-standing tradition in the game, Man United legend Rio Ferdinand has questioned why it should be happening.

Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Giving a guard of honour to the champions is obviously not a compulsory rule in football.

However, as Maresca confirmed during his press conference on Friday, he and his players will salute Liverpool’s achievement as a mark of respect.

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“It’s tradition,” said the Chelsea boss.

They won the Premier League, so they deserve it.”

But despite Maresca’s magnanimity, Ferdinand – and even former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch – were far less enthusiastic when asked about the subject on TNT Sports’ Saturday morning Premier League coverage.

READ MORE: Gary Neville predicts what will happen in Chelsea vs Liverpool as Reds pay price for ‘massive party’

“I don’t like it,” said Crouch.

“I’ve been fortunate to receive the guard of honour and be on the receiving end of it.

There is no problem at all with a team giving the champions a mark of respect once they’ve been confirmed as title winners.

As Ferdinand says, he received it while a United player 15 years ago and we’re sure he had no issue with it then, whatever his current complaints.

Had Chelsea chosen not to give the guard of honour, it would also have been perfectly understandable, but it’s nice that they have chosen to overlook any rivalry or pettiness and give Liverpool the respect they’ve earned and deserve.

From there, it feels likely that Liverpool will receive applause from all three of their other remaining opponents.

The interesting one could be Arsenal at Anfield.
For more news relating to Arsenal, visit our sister site AFC Latest Live.