Arsenal secured their first victory at Anfield in 14 years after Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool, although the hosts were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty.
The victory gives Mikel Arteta’s men a three-point advantage over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and leaves them nine points ahead of Liverpool.
It was a fiercely contested encounter, with the major difference between both sides coming in their attacking efficiency. Liverpool mounted several spells of pressure, producing 17 attempts on David Raya’s goal, but none required the Arsenal goalkeeper to make a save.
Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar with a free-kick, while an unmarked Alexis Mac Allister sent a header over the crossbar. However, Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target.
“It’s been a defensive masterclass from Arsenal,” said Gary Neville.
Liverpool could also have been awarded a penalty after Jurrien Timber appeared to pull Alexander Isak’s shirt in the first half. However, the incident went unnoticed by the match officials, prompting Jamie Carragher to urge VAR to “do its job”.
