According to reports, Arsenal fulfilled the promise made by Mikel Arteta and formed a guard of honor for Liverpool, the newly crowned Premier League champions, before Sunday’s match at Anfield.

Liverpool secured their title last month with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham, extending Arsenal’s wait for their first league title since the 2003-04 season.

Although the guard of honor is not mandatory as a standing tribute with applause for the champions, it is often observed as a common tradition in the league. Chelsea also paid this tribute to Liverpool before their match last week.

Mikel Arteta had emphasized in Friday’s press conference that Liverpool deserved this respect and that his players should approach the match with the mindset that this moment could serve as motivation for improvement.

Arteta said: “Liverpool deserves this. They were the best team, the most consistent team. What Jürgen Klopp and his coaching staff have done is truly exceptional, and they fully deserve this success. This is the spirit of sport—when a team is better than you, you must respect them, accept it, and strive to reach that level.”

He added: “Something must drive you, motivate you. Sometimes even pain can be a good motivator. When you don’t want to do something but know it’s the right thing, you must do it, and that usually becomes motivation for the next season.”

Arsenal was eliminated from the Champions League semifinals a few days ago after a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Thus, Arteta’s only major achievement as Arsenal manager remains the 2020 FA Cup victory.