Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal: Havertz ends 14-year Anfield wait and sends Gunners top
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal: Kai Havertz's 16th-minute goal gave Arsenal a first league win at Anfield in 14 years and a three-point lead at the top.
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal: Kai Havertz’s early tap-in gave the champions their first league win at Anfield in 14 years and lifted them three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Main photo: Chensiyuan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mikel Arteta’s side spent long spells under siege on Sunday afternoon, but Liverpool never managed to test David Raya. One goal, scored inside the first quarter of an hour, was enough.
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal: how Havertz struck
The breakthrough came in the 16th minute. Liverpool tried to play out from the back, Arsenal won the ball high up the pitch, and Declan Rice burst past Noni Madueke on the right before whipping a low ball across the six-yard box. Havertz was waiting at the far post to tap in.
The goal took the Germany forward to 46 in the Premier League, the most by any German player in the competition’s history, moving him past Ilkay Gündogan.
Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka, as flagged in our Liverpool v Arsenal preview, and Christos Tzolis came closest to a second when Alisson tipped his low drive around the post.
Pressure without a shot on target
Andoni Iraola made seven changes after the midweek Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, handing Trey Nyoni a first league start. His side swarmed forward, racking up 28 touches in the Arsenal box in the first half alone, the most any team has managed against Arsenal in a first half since records began in 2008-09.
Yet the end product never came. Florian Wirtz rattled the crossbar with a free kick, Alexis Mac Allister headed over from close range and Alexander Isak lifted a tight-angle effort over the bar. Several penalty appeals were waved away, and Liverpool finished without a single shot on target in front of 60,406 fans.
It was a second league defeat under Iraola and leaves Liverpool fifth.
| Final score | Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal |
| Goal | Havertz 16′ (assist: Rice) |
| Liverpool shots on target | 0 |
| Liverpool first-half touches in Arsenal box | 28 |
| Attendance | 60,406 |
| Arsenal | 1st, 24 pts (P9) |
| Liverpool | 5th, 15 pts (P9) |
Arteta: a long time coming
Arteta told Sky Sports he was “extremely proud”, adding: “It’s been 14 years, that’s a long time.” Our sister site DGBN has looked at the Arsenal manager’s milestones in Arteta joining the elite 250 club.
What it means for the table
Arsenal move on to 24 points from nine games, three ahead of Manchester City, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Brighton on Saturday. That game, previewed in our Man City v Brighton preview, handed City a second straight league defeat. Brighton sit third on 19.
Liverpool are nine points off the pace, also trailing Chelsea, who moved to 16 points after their weekend meeting with Manchester United, previewed in our Chelsea v Man Utd preview.
