Arsenal end their long Anfield wait with a 1-0 victory

Havertz punished an Alisson error

Alisson’s inaccurate pass gave Arsenal the chance to attack before Liverpool could recover their shape. Declan Rice collected the loose ball and drove a low cross into the area, where Havertz finished in the 16th minute.

The match was played on 1 November. The goal was Havertz’s 46th in the Premier League, the highest total by a German player in the competition, and Liverpool never managed to turn their response into a sustained spell of clear chances.

Wirtz came closest to an equaliser

Liverpool’s best moment arrived in the 39th minute when Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar. The home side also appealed for a penalty after Alexander Isak was held in the area, but the referee allowed play to continue.

Those incidents were exceptions in a match where Liverpool struggled to test the goalkeeper. Arsenal protected the middle of the box and forced many of the home side’s 17 attempts into low-value positions.

The shot count did not reflect the quality of the chances

Liverpool finished with a 17-10 advantage in total attempts, yet Opta recorded no home shot on target. Arsenal’s ten efforts included the decisive finish and several attacks that kept Liverpool from committing every player forward.

The contrast explains why the narrow score did not feel accidental. Liverpool had more attempts, but Arsenal produced the action that mattered and defended the penalty area without relying on repeated emergency saves.

Arsenal leave Anfield as league leaders

The victory moved Arsenal to 24 points and kept them at the top of the Premier League. Ending a 14-year wait for a league win at Anfield also gave the result a significance beyond the table.

Liverpool must improve the quality of their final action after producing no effort on target at home. Arsenal, meanwhile, showed that one precise attack and a disciplined defensive performance can be enough in a difficult away match.