Arsenal secured their first Premier League victory at Anfield in 14 years, moving three points clear at the top of the table thanks to Kai Havertz's decisive first-half goal. Assisted by Declan Rice, Havertz's effort ended a sequence of 16 unsuccessful trips in all competitions at the stadium dating back to 2012, when manager Mikel Arteta captained the Gunners to a 2-0 win. Arteta had urged his squad before kickoff with the message that "today has to be the day," and his players responded with a defensive masterclass that prevented Liverpool from registering a single shot on target.
The landmark result followed just four days after an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two outfit Fleetwood Town. Arteta expressed immense pride in the spirit shown by his team following that setback, noting: "That's the magical part of this game, it can take you to really bad places but four days later you have the opportunity to do something really historic and we've done it." Center-back Gabriel's pre-match prediction of a "big battle" and "big chaos" proved accurate as the hosts applied heavy pressure before the break, but the Gunners stood resolute to register their sixth league clean sheet of the campaign—their first at Anfield in the top flight since that 2012 visit.
Match-winner Havertz described ending the 13-match league winless run at the venue as an achievement "the fans deserve," while Rice praised the team's unwavering cohesion, stating that "the togetherness we have is undefeated." Rice, who leads the division with five assists this season, helped Arsenal climb to 24 points from their first nine fixtures. That total represents the highest haul by any Premier League club after nine games since Arsenal's 2022-23 campaign, with only the club's 2004-05 and 2007-08 squads earning more at this stage.
Arsenal are now two points better off than at this identical phase of last season's title-winning campaign, relying heavily on an elite back four that allowed only 27 goals last term. The defensive resilience comes at a vital time, as Arteta's attack has produced 14 league goals while navigating availability issues: Bukayo Saka remains injured, 16-year-old Max Dowman is suspended following a red card at Fleetwood, Christos Tzolis has only just returned from a hamstring injury, and Viktor Gyokeres is experiencing form struggles alongside Havertz. With second-placed Manchester City awaiting the outcome of an appeal over financial rule breaches and other traditional rivals in transition, Arsenal are well placed to build a significant advantage at the league summit.