Manchester City will almost certainly give Liverpool a guard of honour when the two teams meet at the Etihad Stadium next week.
The matter is yet to be confirmed, but the Blues are keen to recognise the achievement of Jurgen Klopp’s team, who clinched the Premier League title when City lost at Chelsea last night.
There had been concerns that the social distancing guidelines put in place to allow the league to re-start last week would mean City would be forbidden from lining up to clap out the Merseysiders, who have won their first league title in 30 years.
Current rules state that the teams have to come out of the tunnel separately, and the usual friendship handshake has been dropped, with the league conscious that such things are currently not allowed in wider society.
It seems ludicrous when the two sets of players then contest a football match, with plenty of bodily contact, close-quarters breathing and goal celebrations, but the rules remain in place.
But ahead of next Thursday’s game, City will consult with league officials to determine what will be acceptable – and it may be that they find a new, socially-distanced guard of honour.
The guard of honour has become a tradition in English football – City got five of them when they won the league in record time in 2018.
Managers not only feel it is the sporting thing to to, but they also use it as motivation to their own players, insisting that they applaud opponents who have just taken away their trophy.
