Liverpool to provide Chelsea a guard of honour

Tradition will be upheld next week at Stamford Bridge if Chelsea clinch the Premier League title as Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says his players will provide the hosts a guard of honour before the encounter.

Rodgers' men will line up on the touchline and applaud the players as they walk onto the pitch if Chelsea are able to win the title with a victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"Absolutely. This club is built on dignity, respect and class. So whoever is the champions, and wherever it is, that’s what you do," Rodgers told reporters ahead of Liverpool's match against Queens Park Rangers. "It is what it is."

While it's an honourable sign of respect, the gesture will be difficult for Liverpool's players and supporters considering the recent history between the teams.

The Merseyside club were close to breaking their 24-year title drought last season until a humiliating sequence of events led to a crushing loss to Chelsea. Steven Gerrard's slip in the second half, which allowed Chelsea forward Demba Ba to score on a breakaway, ultimately ended the team's title dreams.