Arsenal Beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield: Kai Havertz Goal Ends 14-Year Wait and Sends Gunners Top

Arsenal finally won a league game at Anfield again. Kai Havertz scored the only goal after 16 minutes, and the defending Premier League champions held off Liverpool for a 1-0 win on Sunday. It was Arsenal’s first league victory at Anfield since September 2012, and it put them back on top of the table.

Liverpool had plenty of the ball and plenty of crosses, but they finished without a single shot on target, according to both The Guardian and Arsenal’s own match report.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: the goal

The winner came from a Liverpool mistake. Alisson tried a short pass out of his area for Jérémy Jacquet, and The Guardian’s David Hytner wrote that “the weight and direction of it was wrong.” Martin Ødegaard pounced, Arsenal moved the ball quickly up the right, and Declan Rice drove a low cross through the six-yard box. Havertz arrived at the far post for a simple tap-in.

It was Havertz’s first goal in 10 appearances, per The Guardian. Arsenal’s club report added that the goal made him the all-time leading German scorer in Premier League history.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice: the decisive combination

Rice had already shot over from 25 yards before the goal, and his delivery for the winner was the key moment of the match. After that, the game was mostly about how Arsenal defended. Arsenal’s report credits center backs Ezri Konsa and Gabriel with holding firm through a long spell of Liverpool pressure late in the first half.

Liverpool’s best chances

Liverpool answered the goal with real intensity, and they came close before halftime:

• Florian Wirtz curled a free kick from a tight angle off the crossbar.
• Virgil van Dijk forced a low save from David Raya with a header.
• Alexis Mac Allister headed over a free header from Milos Kerkez’s cross in the 43rd minute, the chance The Guardian said he “blew.”
• Alexander Isak could not get his head to an inswinging cross.

After the break, Arsenal managed the game. Christos Tzolis, back after a month out, was a constant outlet on the counter. Alisson made an excellent diving save to keep out his first-time shot, and Riccardo Calafiori’s low cross was cleared off the line.

Flashpoints and Liverpool complaints

The match was tense. The Guardian reported that Arsenal won 18 free kicks, some of them soft, and each one drew a roar from the Kop. Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty in the 21st minute, when Isak believed Jurriën Timber had pulled his shirt as he went for a Bradley Barcola cross. VAR did not intervene.

Late on, a melee broke out after Ødegaard won a free kick. Noni Madueke, already booked, touched foreheads with Mac Allister, and Mac Allister went down. The Guardian called a red card for Madueke possible but harsh, and Madueke stayed on. Van Dijk sarcastically applauded referee Andy Madley at full time and was booked. He could also be heard in the tunnel saying Madueke should have received a second yellow.

Liverpool F.C. vs. Arsenal F.C. stats and standings

• Score: Liverpool 0, Arsenal 1 (Havertz 16’)
• Liverpool shots on target: 0, per The Guardian and Arsenal.com
• Free kicks won by Arsenal: 18, per The Guardian
• Table: Arsenal returned to first place in the Premier League.
• Milestone: Arsenal’s club report called it their 300th Premier League away win.

The loss also ended Liverpool’s five-match winning run in all competitions. For Arsenal, it was a strong response days after what The Guardian called a “Carabao Cup humiliation” at Fleetwood on Tuesday night.

What’s next

Arsenal visit Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday, then host Hull City in the Premier League next Saturday before the November international break, according to the club.

Quick FAQ

Who won Liverpool vs. Arsenal? Arsenal won 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Who scored? Kai Havertz in the 16th minute, from a Declan Rice cross.

When did Arsenal last win a league game at Anfield? September 2012, when Mikel Arteta, now Arsenal’s manager, was playing in their midfield.