Arsenal end 14-year wait for Premier League win at Anfield

Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday to claim their first Premier League win there in 14 years and move three points clear at the top after nine games. Kai Havertz scored the winner, set up by Declan Rice.

The victory followed Arsenal’s embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat by League Two side Fleetwood Town four days earlier. Manager Mikel Arteta said his team had responded to that setback with a result he called historic. He was Arsenal captain when they last won a league match at Anfield, in 2012.

Liverpool pressed after Havertz’s first-half goal, but Arsenal held on and did not allow the home side a shot on target in the second half. The win was also Arsenal’s first Premier League clean sheet at Anfield since 2012.

Arsenal have 24 points from nine matches, their highest total at this stage since they also had 24 in 2022-23. They have conceded just six league goals this season, while scoring 14. BBC Sport noted that injuries and suspensions have limited Arteta’s forward options, even as the defence has remained a strength.

Rice has provided five league assists this season, more than any other player, according to BBC Sport. Liverpool’s defeat also extended their winless run in Premier League home matches to five, following a 3-0 loss to Manchester City and four draws across two seasons.