Maresca: Chelsea Will Respect Liverpool with Guard of Honour
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirms his team will give Liverpool a guard of honour despite the Reds' Premier League title win, and shares his thoughts on their upcoming match.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that his team will give Liverpool a guard of honour when they visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday, following the Reds' historic Premier League title win. Liverpool secured the championship last weekend, claiming a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title with four games to spare. Maresca emphasized that the guard of honour is a gesture of respect, acknowledging Liverpool's achievement as “deserved.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca stated that his team will line up to give Liverpool a guard of honour before Sunday's match, as a gesture of respect for the Reds' historic Premier League title win, although it's not a formal requirement.
“I think it's a tradition, it's something you have to do and we want to do. First of all, they won the league, so they deserve that, and hopefully we can be there (as champions) very soon,” Maresca told reporters.
“I don't think we need that to understand how good it is to win the Premier League. We know that it's something very nice.
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“But for sure when you are there, probably in their mind (the players) are thinking 'I would like one day to be there'.”
Liverpool's players will be allowed to shake hands with Chelsea's players before the match, a gesture that wasn't possible after their last title win in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In 2020, Liverpool received guards of honour from every team they faced after securing the title, including Chelsea. Chelsea also gave Manchester City a guard of honour in 2023.
Chelsea are focused on securing a top-five finish and Champions League qualification, and they received a boost when Nottingham Forest, who were level on points, lost to Brentford. Despite Liverpool's title win, Enzo Maresca believes they won't relax, saying, ”It's always nice to play in this kind of game, but I don't think they will be any different or relaxed because they have already won the title.”
“They are a very good team and deserved to win the Premier League this season. The gap is there, you can see clearly. My feeling is we are in the right direction and hopefully this gap can be smaller and closer next season.
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🏟️ Stamford Bridge
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⏰ 4:30pm
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“Perhaps the difference (between the two teams) is that they have probably been a lot more consistent compared to us over the entire season.”
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