LIVERPOOL — Arsenal ended 14 years of frustration at Anfield on Sunday, 1 November 2026, as Kai Havertz's 16th-minute goal secured a gritty 1-0 Premier League win over Liverpool and moved the reigning champions three points clear at the top of the table.
The German striker tapped home Declan Rice's low cross at the far post after Arsenal won the ball back as Liverpool tried to play out from the back, and the visitors then survived a sustained second-half onslaught to protect their lead. Liverpool dominated possession and piled up chances, but according to Opta figures cited in match coverage, they failed to register a single shot on target at Anfield in a Premier League game for the first time on record — a remarkable statistic that underlined just how disciplined Mikel Arteta's side were without the ball.
It was Arsenal's first Premier League victory at Anfield since September 2012, when Arteta himself was captain in a 2-1 win, and their manager's first win at the ground as a coach. The result took Arsenal to 24 points from nine matches, three clear of Manchester City, who had lost at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, while Liverpool stayed fifth on 15 points, nine behind the leaders.
Illustration: A striker taps in a low cross at the far post as the goalkeeper dives — an illustration, not a photograph of the match.
What Happened
The decisive moment came early. Liverpool sought to build from a goal-kick, Arsenal pressed the move into a mistake, and Rice overlapped Noni Madueke down the right channel before delivering a pinpoint low ball across the six-yard box. Havertz, free at the back post, finished from close range to give Arsenal a lead they would never surrender.
The goal was Havertz's third of the 2026-27 Premier League season and his first away from home, following home strikes against Coventry City and Chelsea. It was also his 46th goal in the English top flight, making him the Premier League's all-time leading German goalscorer, ahead of Ilkay Gundogan on 45, according to Opta. Havertz had been given the nod up front ahead of Viktor Gyokeres by Arteta, and he repaid that faith within 16 minutes.
Liverpool's response was immediate and intense. Florian Wirtz curled a free kick against the crossbar and Alexis Mac Allister headed a good chance over the bar before half-time, as the home side threw wave after wave of attacks at the Arsenal goal. Liverpool had 28 touches in the Arsenal penalty area in the first half alone — the most by any side in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game against the Gunners since records began in 2008-09, according to Opta — yet still went in behind at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Liverpool kept pushing, Arsenal kept their shape, and goalkeeper David Raya was rarely forced into a decisive save. Match coverage reported that Liverpool had four penalty appeals waved away in the first half, including one in which Alexander Isak's shirt appeared to be held by Jurrien Timber as the striker rose for a cross, an incident that was not reviewed by VAR. Reuters reported that Liverpool finished with 16 goal attempts but could not break down what it called Arsenal's "impregnable yellow wall".
Illustration: A home side in red attacks against a resolute defensive wall at a packed stadium — an illustration, not a photograph of the match.
Background
Arsenal arrived at Anfield under a cloud. Four days earlier, the champions had been knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town, a humbling defeat by a team 84 rungs lower on the ladder that raised questions about whether Arteta's side had lost their nerve. Reuters noted that if Arsenal's title rivals thought that result might have shaken the champions' confidence, Sunday's performance would have been sobering viewing.
Liverpool, by contrast, were beginning to click under head coach Andoni Iraola. The Reds had won four league clean sheets since September — the most of any Premier League side in that period, according to match analysis — and were seeking a third straight league win that would have moved them within three points of Arsenal. Liverpool FC's own match report described the defeat as only their second under Iraola.
The history weighed heavily on Arsenal. The Gunners had failed to win in their previous 14 visits to Anfield in all competitions, and Arteta had never won there as a manager. Their last league win on the ground came in September 2012, when Arteta, then the club captain, was part of the side that won 2-1. Fourteen years later, he finally ended that wait from the touchline.
There were notable selection stories on both sides. Bukayo Saka remained out with a quadriceps injury and was not expected back before the international break, but his deputy Madueke was one of Arsenal's brightest attackers in the opening stages, running the right flank and combining well with Timber defensively. For Liverpool, Iraola handed 19-year-old Trey Nyoni his first Premier League start; the youngster recorded 60 touches before being replaced before the hour mark by Dominik Szoboszlai. Alexander Isak, who had scored six goals in his previous six league matches, was effectively neutralised, managing two shots, both off target, and only three touches in the opposition penalty area, with Ezri Konsa staying close to him throughout.
Why It Matters
The result matters far beyond three points because of what it says about Arsenal's title credentials. Winning ugly at a ground where they had not won in the league for 14 years, days after a cup humiliation, is exactly the kind of result champions produce. Arsenal did not dominate the ball — Liverpool had 56 percent possession — but they defended their box with discipline and took the one clear chance the game offered them.
For Liverpool, the defeat exposes a familiar problem: plenty of territory and pressure, but no cutting edge when it matters most. Failing to test Raya despite so much time in Arsenal's penalty area will concern Iraola, even if he was encouraged by his side's reaction to going behind. "Disappointing for us," Iraola told BBC Radio 5 Live after the match. "We definitely deserved to score but we weren't able. We regret the first 15 minutes until we conceded the goal but I loved [what happened] after." He added a note of perspective: "We have to keep going. It is very early in the season. Arsenal are in the best of the situations but it is just the start of November today. A lot of games to play."
The table now has a clear shape at the top. Arsenal sit three points clear of Manchester City after nine games, while Liverpool are nine points behind the leaders in fifth. With the November international break approaching, Arsenal have built a cushion that lets them absorb a slip; Liverpool, meanwhile, can no longer afford many afternoons like this one if they are to stay in the title conversation.
Havertz's personal milestone also matters. Overtaking Gundogan as the highest-scoring German in Premier League history cements the 27-year-old's place in the competition's story, and doing it with a goal of this importance — the winner at Anfield — makes it a landmark he is unlikely to forget.
Illustration: Players in yellow away kits celebrate a goal under the floodlights at a packed stadium — an illustration, not a photograph of the match.
What Happens Next
Both sides turn to Europe in midweek. Arsenal visit Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League, while Liverpool face a trip to Fenerbahce, before the domestic programme resumes. Liverpool's final Premier League game before the November international break is against Crystal Palace, a fixture Iraola's side will now approach needing a response after a defeat that, for all their dominance in patches, left them with nothing.
For Arsenal, the task is to turn a statement win into a sustained run. The champions have shown they can win at Anfield without playing their best football; the question now is whether they can keep that defensive steel while rediscovering the fluency that made them champions. If they can, the three-point lead they opened up on Sunday could grow. If they cannot, Manchester City will be waiting, as they always are.
Liverpool's immediate priority is simpler: turn pressure into goals. The chances, the touches in the box and the possession were all there at Anfield. The shot on target was not. Until that changes, afternoons like Sunday will keep happening, however well Iraola's team play for long stretches.
Sponsored: explore today's featured sponsored offers
FAQ
Who won Liverpool vs Arsenal on 1 November 2026?
Arsenal won 1-0 at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday, 1 November 2026, thanks to Kai Havertz's goal in the 16th minute.
Who scored the only goal of the game?
Kai Havertz scored the only goal, tapping home Declan Rice's low cross at the far post after Arsenal won the ball back as Liverpool tried to play out from the back.
Why was the win historic for Arsenal?
It was Arsenal's first Premier League win at Anfield in 14 years, since a 2-1 victory in September 2012, and Mikel Arteta's first win at the ground as a manager.
Did Liverpool have a shot on target?
No. According to Opta figures cited in match coverage, Liverpool failed to register a shot on target at Anfield in a Premier League game for the first time on record, despite having 56 percent possession and 28 touches in Arsenal's box in the first half.
What does the result mean for the Premier League table?
Arsenal moved to 24 points from nine matches, three points clear of Manchester City at the top, while Liverpool stayed fifth on 15 points, nine points behind the leaders.
Sources
- Reuters, "Arsenal show true colours at Anfield after Fleetwood humiliation", 1 November 2026
- TNT Sports, "Arsenal fortunate or Liverpool wasteful? Record stat shows extent of dominance at Anfield", 1-2 November 2026
- Liverpool FC, "Match report: Liverpool narrowly beaten by Arsenal at Anfield", 1 November 2026
- Khel Now, "Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal: Six key takeaways from Premier League 2026-27 clash", 1 November 2026
- Sports Mole, "Kai Havertz breaks Premier League scoring record, surpasses Man City legend in Liverpool vs. Arsenal", 1 November 2026
- Complete Sports, "Liverpool Set Unwanted Anfield Record In 1-0 Defeat To Arsenal", 2 November 2026
Comments
Post a Comment