I have never thought a guard of honour to be a big deal. It's simply a way of saying 'congratulations' to an opponent. The press have built it up to be some kind of insult to the players who form the guard of honour.
No doubt that when the game is broadcast tonight, rather than doing the usual of going to a commercial break as the teams come out, they will show the guard of honour, making it out like it is a big issue.
When we won the league in 2018, did they show on TV the guards of honour we received? I cannot remember seeing any.