Arsenal Beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield as Havertz Sends Champions Top

Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday, Nov. 1, as Kai Havertz scored in the 16th minute for the champions’ first Premier League win on Liverpool’s ground since September 2012. The result put Mikel Arteta’s side back on top of the Premier League table, three points ahead of Manchester City and nine clear of Liverpool after nine matches.

How Havertz’s goal came

The only goal started with a mistake. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker played a rushed pass toward center back Jérémy Jacquet, and Arsenal won the loose ball, according to ESPN’s match report. Arsenal moved it to the right, where Declan Rice sent a low cross across the six-yard box and Havertz finished at the far post with his left foot.

The goal was Havertz’s 46th in the Premier League, moving him past Ilkay Gündogan as the competition’s highest-scoring German player, ESPN and Sky Sports reported. ESPN said it was his third goal of the season and his 27th since he joined Arsenal from Chelsea. The Guardian noted it was his first goal in 10 appearances.

Arsenal’s club site said the victory was also the club’s 300th Premier League away win. It came five days after Arsenal lost a Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, a result The Guardian called a humiliation.

Liverpool push, but never test Raya

Liverpool, managed by Andoni Iraola, had most of the ball and most of the attempts after falling behind. Florian Wirtz hit the woodwork with a free kick before halftime, and Alexis Mac Allister headed over from close range after a cross from Milos Kerkez, Sky Sports reported. Still, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya did not have to make a save. Sky Sports said it was the first time on record that Liverpool failed to put a single shot on target in a home league match, and that Liverpool have scored only four league goals in five games at Anfield this season.

The biggest complaint from the home side came in the 21st minute. Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber held Alexander Isak’s shirt as the striker tried to reach a header from a Bradley Barcola cross, Sky Sports and ESPN reported, but no penalty was given. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said, “It’s been a defensive masterclass from Arsenal,” while fellow pundit Jamie Carragher said VAR needed to “do its job” on the Timber incident.

At the other end, Alisson made a diving save on a low shot from Christos Tzolis, who was playing his first game in a month, to keep the margin at one. Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães anchored the Arsenal back line, and the visitors saw out seven minutes of stoppage time. Eight yellow cards were shown, four to each side, according to ESPN’s match data.

By the numbers: what the match data shows

The statistics show how one-sided the territory was and how little it produced. Liverpool had 56.4% of possession, 17 shots to Arsenal’s 10, and seven corners to four, per ESPN’s match data. Yet Arsenal put three of their 10 shots on target, or 30%, while Liverpool landed none. Liverpool tried 33 crosses and completed five, about 15% (TBR calculation from ESPN data). Arsenal made 36 clearances, 14 more than Liverpool’s 22, and Liverpool had nine shots blocked.

The table tells the bigger story. Arsenal have 24 points from eight wins and one loss, an average of 2.67 points a game (TBR calculation from ESPN standings). Manchester City, who lost 1-0 at Brighton on Saturday, sit second on 21. Brighton are third on 19, Chelsea fourth on 16, and Liverpool fifth on 15. The nine-point gap between Arsenal and Liverpool after nine games is 60% of Liverpool’s entire total so far (TBR calculation). The standings were taken Sunday evening, with Newcastle and Everton having played one game fewer than the rest of the league.

What’s next for Arsenal and Liverpool

Arsenal return to the Champions League on Wednesday at Slavia Prague, and then host Hull City in the Premier League on Saturday before the November international break, according to the club. Liverpool’s five-match winning run in all competitions ended, The Guardian noted, and Iraola’s side now trail the leaders by nine points before the season reaches its first international break.

For a look at the result that helped open the door for Arsenal, see our report on Brighton’s 1-0 upset of Manchester City and Manchester United’s loss at Chelsea. Closer to home, the New England Revolution can clinch the East’s No. 2 seed against Inter Miami on Sunday.

Sources

• ESPN: Arsenal hold off Liverpool for first win at Anfield since 2012 (match report and match data)
• Sky Sports: Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal report and key moments
• The Guardian: Arsenal hold on for first league win at Liverpool since 2012
• Arsenal.com: Report, Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal
• ESPN: Premier League standings