Arsenal win at Liverpool to go three points clear at Premier League summit
The champions were victorious thanks to Kai Havertz’s first half goal.
Arsenal recorded a first Premier League win at Anfield in 14 years but needed some help from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, whose first-half error led to Kai Havertz’s solitary goal in the 1-0 win.
Not since manager Mikel Arteta was running the Gunners’ midfield in 2012 had they tasted victory in the red half of Merseyside and they were tested to the limit in ending end that run.
However, if it is one thing Arteta’s side are well-drilled at it is seeing out games having maximised their opportunities and the celebrations in front of the visiting fans having moved top of the table showed how significant they felt this result was.
And while most of the football was played by Liverpool after going behind it did not bring any rewards – partly due to poor judgement and execution but also bad luck.
How Jurrien Timber’s tug on the shirt of Alexander Isak as he tried to connect with a header escaped the eagle eye of VAR will remain a question, especially as they were quick to look into a more regular coming together of Cody Gakpo and Christos Tzolis.
By then the hosts were already behind after another miscalculation by Alisson.
A week ago the Brazil international got away with a few loose passes in the win against Brighton. Arsenal were not so forgiving.
His attempted pass to Jeremy Jacquet gave the centre-back no chance of retaining possession and the loose ball was seized upon by Arsenal, who moved it the right where Noni Madueke and Declan Rice combined for Havertz to tap in at the far post.
The margins were always going to be tight in a match between the current champions, who have won all five league games when scoring the game’s first this season, and their predecessors and that one error proved to be the difference as for all their pressure Liverpool failed to test David Raya.
Much of that was down to the hosts’ lack of composure in the final third – Raya did not have to make a save – and Arsenal’s experience at doing the necessary dirty work to deny those opportunities.
Bradley Barcola’s pace was a problem for Timber but, conversely, Arsenal pitched Madueke against left-back Milos Kerkez as Tzolis got nothing out of Ronald Araujo.
Isak just failed to reach Barcola’s inswinging cross, but the fact he made nothing of Timber’s pull counted against him as the potential infringement went unnoticed.
Raya and Ezri Konsa prevented Isak poking in Virgil Van Dijk’s header, while Florian Wirtz whipped an angled free-kick against the crossbar and Alexis Mac Allister headed over when he should have scored.
That was Liverpool’s last real chance of note as after Isak blazed an early second-half chance into the Kop they found themselves running into Arsenal cul-de-sacs and eventually ran out of steam and ideas.
While their press was stifling for Arsenal the visitors handled the pressure, enhancing their credentials for making it back-to-back titles.
Such was their effectiveness Liverpool failed to record a shot on target in an Anfield league game for the first time since records began in 2003, 442 matches in total.
The Gunners were restricted to limited attacking incursions with Tzolis forcing the best save of the game as Alisson tipped his low shot around the post.