Arsenal ended one of English football’s longest-running hoodoos on Sunday, beating Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield to climb to the top of the Premier League. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute, handing the defending champions their first league victory on Merseyside since 2012 and leaving Liverpool nine points adrift of the leaders.
The result caps a strong weekend for Mikel Arteta’s side, who had watched title rivals Manchester City slip up at home to Brighton & Hove Albion less than 24 hours earlier.
How the Goal Came About
The decisive moment arrived early and began with a mistake at the back from Liverpool. According to match reports from ESPN, NBC Sports and Khel Now, goalkeeper Alisson played a loose pass out from defence, Martin Odegaard pounced to win possession, and the ball quickly found Declan Rice. The England midfielder then slid a low cross into the box, where Havertz was on hand to tap in from close range.
It was a goal that rewarded Arsenal’s aggressive start. The visitors pressed high in the opening quarter of an hour and looked the sharper side, with Noni Madueke, deputising on the right for the injured Bukayo Saka, among their most dangerous attackers in the first half.
Liverpool Left Frustrated
Liverpool responded with a spell of sustained pressure before half-time and created openings, but could not find a way past David Raya. Florian Wirtz curled a free-kick against the crossbar, Alexis Mac Allister headed over from a good position after finding space at a cross, and Alexander Isak was guilty of missing a clear chance.
The home side had more of the ball over the 90 minutes, but match reports agree that Arsenal managed the second half comfortably. Liverpool’s attacking threat faded as the game wore on, and the Gunners’ back line limited them to very few clear sights of goal. Khel Now reported that Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target, a rare occurrence at Anfield.
There was also a notable moment for Liverpool’s youth: 19-year-old Trey Nyoni made his first Premier League start, although he was replaced by Dominik Szoboszlai before the hour mark after a lively, if occasionally reckless, display that included two heavy early challenges.
What the Result Means for the Title Race
The win lifts Arsenal to 24 points from nine matches, according to Reuters-sourced reporting carried by the Cyprus Mail. That puts them three points clear of Manchester City, who are on 21 after losing 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, when Yasin Ayari scored the winner for Brighton in the 11th minute, per theScore.
Liverpool, meanwhile, sit fifth, nine points behind the leaders, after suffering only their second league defeat of the season. A victory would have pulled them to within three points of the top, so the loss represents a significant setback this early in the campaign.
For Arsenal, the significance goes beyond three points. Anfield had become a ground where the Gunners repeatedly came unstuck in the Premier League era, and their last league win there came in 2012. Breaking that run in such controlled fashion will be seen as further evidence of the steel Arteta has built into a side that won the title last season and had already collected seven wins from their first eight league games before Sunday.
Saka Update and What Comes Next
Arteta will hope to have Saka back soon. NBC Sports reported that the Arsenal manager has not ruled out the winger returning before the upcoming international break, which would give the leaders a further boost.
That break, in mid-November, will pause the Premier League as national teams play qualifiers. For Nigerian fans, the focus will switch to the Super Eagles, who face Tanzania in back-to-back AFCON 2027 qualifiers on November 11 and 15 as they chase top spot in Group L.
When club football resumes, Liverpool will be under pressure to respond quickly and stop the gap at the top from growing further, while Manchester City must bounce back from their home defeat to keep pace. Arsenal, for now, head into the break as the team everyone is chasing.
Sources: ESPN, NBC Sports, Reuters (via Cyprus Mail), Khel Now, 101 Great Goals, theScore.
