What has to happen for Arsenal to give Liverpool a guard of honour?

Despite the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League this week, Liverpool will be able to take solace in the fact that they are almost definitely going to win the Premier League.

They sit 15 points ahead of Arsenal in second place at time of writing, with nine games left to play, whilst Arsenal still have to play 10.

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The eagle-eyed among you will realise this then means that Arsenal can only win 30 more points this season at maximum. This would put them on 85 points overall.

As a result, to guarantee hoisting the trophy come the end of Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield, Liverpool need 16 more points right now.

But the two teams still have to play each other - at Anfield, no less. So there is a world where Arsenal have to give Liverpool a guard of honour.

That game is on 10th May, the third-to-last game of the season for the two teams. There are six Premier League games and seven for Arsenal between now and then.

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That means that, for Liverpool to have won the title by then, they need to be more than nine points ahead of Arsenal at kick-off.

How can Liverpool have won the title by the Arsenal game?

If Arsenal win all seven of their Premier League games prior to that game then they will arrive at Anfield with 76 points.

Liverpool then need to be on 86 points or more to have confirmed the title before the game starts. As the Reds currently sit on 75 points, this means getting 11 points from the six games between now and Arsenal.

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Those fixtures are Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Leicester, Tottenham, and Chelsea. With the Reds having dropped points in only eight of their 29 games so far this season, it is highly likely they will get 11 points in those six games.

It’s three wins and two draws. It’s four wins and it doesn’t matter what else happens.

And that’s assuming Arsenal - who have dropped points in 13 of their 28 games, including two draws and a loss in their last three league outings - don’t drop any more points. Any non-wins by the Gunners make the equation even easier for Liverpool.

It’s convoluted and awkward. It changes with every ball kicked. But there is a very serious possibility that, after all of their bombasting and posturing and ‘stay humble’-ing, Arsenal will have to pay homage to the team that was actually ready to win a league title at first opportunity.

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