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Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

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Arsenal are set to round off a painful week against Liverpool today.

The Gunners head to Anfield on Sunday afternoon on the back of a heartbreaking Champions League exit in midweek, when they were unable to pull off a comeback in France to lose 2-1 on the night to Paris Saint-Germain and 3-1 on aggregate to crash out in the semi-finals.

If that was not quite bad enough, now Mikel Arteta’s side have to go to Anfield, where they face off against former title rivals who eventually sealed only their second championship of the Premier League era with four matches to spare after Arsenal simply could not last the pace once again.

With their focus on trying to reach a first European final for 19 years, Arsenal have seen their top-flight form dip noticeably in recent weeks, with draws against the likes of Everton, Brentford and Crystal Palace followed by a 2-1 reverse at home to Bournemouth.

They must now rally to ensure that they do not suffer the embarrassment of falling out of the top four or five altogether in the final weeks of the season, with Liverpool no doubt set to rotate again having made six changes for last week’s surprise 3-1 loss at Chelsea with the title already sewn up.

It has long since become tradition in the Premier League that any team that wins the title with games to spare is then treated to a pre-match guard of honour by their opponents in every remaining fixture.

While not mandatory, it is a voluntary gesture that is typically observed and involves players from the club in question lining up on either side of the tunnel and applauding their counterparts from the champions as they walk out for the game.

Liverpool received seven of these guards of honour in empty stadiums after their last title win under Jurgen Klopp back in the Covid-hit season of 2019/20, including on a visit to the Emirates Stadium.

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And Arteta has already confirmed that Arsenal will do so again this time on Merseyside after Chelsea did it last weekend and Brighton and Crystal Palace expected to do likewise, telling reporters at his pre-match press conference on Friday: “They deserve that.

“They've been the best team, they've been the most consistent, and what Arne [Slot] and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating, it's been really good.

“They fully deserve it, and that's the sport.
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