As Anfield gears up to see Arsenal give its heroes a guard of honour, we think of what Liverpool we will see on Sunday and next season…
I’VE concluded that I’m not arsed about another guard of honour, especially from Arsenal.
Whenever they’ve happened, I’ve watched them peering through my hand like a horror film. Cringing at the performative, ceremonious way opponents line up like mardy schoolchildren in assembly, while our own players shuffle past them with heads down.
My irrational self wonders if it softens our readiness for battle and sharpens the opponents. I mean, they’ve not gone great for us so far.
That might be bollocks, but can you imagine the amount of LinkedIn-inspired waffle Mikel Arteta will be coming out with to his players beforehand?
I know we should lounge in the glory of being champions for the next month, but the truth is I really want to beat Arsenal. I really want them to know, through football, they’re playing the Champions.
They are an excellent side who are very well set up, as was the case in Paris. They will add in the summer. They will create narratives around what a win at Anfield would signify about next season. I’m a firm believer you can insert building blocks for next season into how you end the current one.
Realistically, we are deciding by what margin Liverpool wins the football league and whether Arsenal finish second or third in an apparent two-horse title race.
I don’t want their war hero narratives or faux applause — I want their snarl and snide, and I want Anfield and Liverpool to react in accordance to such competition.
On the pitch, focus will be on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s selection and reception from the stadium if he steps on the turf for penultimate time.
Most people will have heard or read my views on this topic. Yes, the optics aren’t great. No, he hasn’t been a great vice-captain of Liverpool. No, I can’t be as apoplectic with rage and humiliation as others. Do I wish him well? I don’t really care, to be honest.
Ultimately, the conversations about loyalty and ambition are redundant the moment we plough these players with the type of wealth which stratospherically changes their outlook, objectives and, ultimately, their ego.
This isn’t an Alexander-Arnold problem or criticism, it’s a football one which we’re constantly doom looping in contradiction and hypocrisy. If Trent had stayed, he would have been the highest paid full-back in the league and Liverpool’s highest earner. We would have fed all of the above traits by giving him more money.
We want players as long as they’re useful to us. The Bosman ruling has handed that power back in some ways. It’s only natural that people might find that a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
On the pitch, Conor Bradley looks like he’ll get the chance to build more experience heading into next season.
We’re going to see changes to key areas of the team this summer. Numbers nine, 10 and both full-backs are all in line for some kind of addition or improvement, which is fascinating considering we’re champions.
Liverpool have played their hand superbly this season. They won the league from a position of building. They won’t rest on such laurels despite certain views on the club’s ambition and frugality.
All roads lead to Crystal Palace. We’ve made winning the Premier League sexy again. Old Trafford was an Anfield imitation act last night. Our opponents Sunday will keep an ear out for songs to plagiarise. Mosaics, flags and banners will be made badly across the park, unaware of the subconscious, eternal yearning for Kopite behaviour.
Forget about the guard of honour. I don’t want Arsenal’s disingenuous applause. I want to beat the best version of them at 100 miles per hour.
I want to remind them why we’re champions.
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“He’s got all the attributes that you want from a Liverpool full-back.”
“At every point in his career where he’s had to go up a level, he’s grabbed it.”
Team Talk pic.twitter.com/tMlbjWCMFe
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) May 9, 2025
