Arsenal ended a 14-year wait for a Premier League win at Anfield with a disciplined 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday. Kai Havertz's close-range finish in the 16th minute proved decisive, moving Mikel Arteta's side three points clear at the summit and halting the hosts' five-match winning streak across all competitions.
The Gunners' last league triumph at the stadium came in September 2012, a run spanning 5,173 days. This victory, their eighth in nine matches, was rooted in a capacity to control and frustrate a Liverpool side that provided high energy but fizzled out badly after the break. Liverpool failed to score for the first time since October 11.
Liverpool's streak ends in frustration
Liverpool's winning run concluded with a rare off-day in front of goal. Despite early pressure, they never landed a decisive blow. The Kop teemed with intensity, particularly after Virgil van Dijk was booked for sarcastically applauding the referee. Youngster Trey Nyoni, aged 19, made his full league debut but was replaced by Dominik Szoboszlai just before the hour mark.
Alexis Mac Allister was also cautioned for a foul, and his frustration boiled over late on when he raged after Martin Ødegaard won a free-kick. Jurrien Timber's early grab of Alexander Isak's shirt went unpunished, and a loose touch from Ezri Konsa nearly presented a chance, only for Declan Rice to intervene. Alisson did make an excellent save from Christos Tzolis, but Liverpool's attacks lacked a cutting edge.
Key moments and disciplined defence
The match was settled by a moment of simplicity. Arsenal worked the ball up the right, and Declan Rice fizzed a low ball across the six-yard box. Havertz needed only an easy tap-in to score. From there, Arsenal's champion know-how came to the fore. They showed a ruthless side, with David Raya even booked for time-wasting as the clock ran down.
Tzolis almost teed up Ødegaard with Alisson out of position, and Noni Madueke won a free-kick, but Arsenal's defence held firm. Mikel Arteta, 44, celebrated with his staff at full-time after making late changes, introducing Piero Hincapié and Viktor Gyökeres. The victory was a stark contrast to Arsenal's previous trip to the north-west, which ended in Carabao Cup humiliation at Fleetwood.
Arsenal now travel to face Slavia Prague in European competition before the international break, their title momentum firmly intact. Liverpool, meanwhile, will play Fenerbahçe in Istanbul before a Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.
Read the full report at theguardian.com
