Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, their first Premier League win at the ground in 14 years, with Kai Havertz scoring the decisive goal to send a clear message to manager Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners made it four consecutive Premier League victories and moved three points ahead of Manchester City, marking their 10th win of the campaign across all competitions. Mikel Arteta won at Anfield for the first time in the Premier League as Arsenal boss.
Fast Start Pays Off
Arsenal dominated possession in the opening period and took the lead after just 16 minutes. Alisson Becker's wayward pass allowed the away side to pick up the ball in the final third. The ball reached Noni Madueke, who laid it off for an overlapping Declan Rice. The England star played it across goal for Kai Havertz to finish with a close-range tap-in.
Liverpool responded as expected from a team losing at home. Trey Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister began getting on the ball in dangerous areas, distributing it to Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, who put the Arsenal defence under pressure. They failed to test David Raya, but the goalkeeper was beaten by Wirtz's free-kick that struck the crossbar. Liverpool also had cause for complaint in the first half when a penalty was not awarded after Alexander Isak had his shirt pulled by Jurrien Timber in the box.
Havertz Demonstrates Importance
Havertz was dropped for the first time this season in the Gunners' 2-0 victory over Everton last week. He managed a 22-minute cameo against the Toffees but earned his place back in Arteta's starting XI against Liverpool, making a significant impact. The 27-year-old scored his third goal of the season, getting on the end of Rice's accurate pass across the box to give the champions the lead.
While his demotion to the bench against Everton may have been partly down to rest and giving Viktor Gyokeres an opportunity to impress, Arteta has been given another reminder of what Havertz provides when he starts.
Trial by Crosses
Arsenal are usually the team that demonstrates dominance through incessant crosses, but they faced the same approach at Anfield. Liverpool put in 19 crosses in the first half alone, continually putting the Gunners' defence under pressure. Milos Kerkez contributed most of them, but the Reds were unable to convert any of the opportunities they created. The best chance came through the Hungarian's pinpoint cross to a free Alexis Mac Allister in the box, but the Argentine failed to get his header on target.
