Havertz goal gives Arsenal first Anfield win in 14 years
- Kai Havertz scored in the 16th minute as Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
- It was Arsenal's first league win at Liverpool in 14 years and lifted them three points clear at the top.
- Liverpool hit the bar through Florian Wirtz and had a penalty appeal turned down after a VAR review.
Arsenal won at Anfield for the first time in 14 years on Sunday, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Premier League through Kai Havertz's 16th-minute goal.
Declan Rice's low cross found the German midfielder, who finished from close range. It was the decisive moment of a match Liverpool largely controlled after falling behind.
The result lifted the defending champions three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table. For Liverpool, it left them fifth and nine points behind the leaders.
Liverpool's pressure goes unrewarded
Liverpool's best spell came in the half hour after the goal. Florian Wirtz curled a free-kick against the crossbar in the 39th minute, and Alexis Mac Allister headed over from a good position four minutes later.
Referee Andy Madley turned down a Liverpool penalty appeal in the 29th minute after Cody Gakpo went down in the box, and the decision stood after a VAR (video assistant referee) review, according to PM News.
Alisson Becker kept Liverpool in the game with a reflex save to deny Christos Tzolis in the 73rd minute. Arsenal's David Raya and a disciplined back line dealt with the late crosses and held on through seven minutes of added time.
Arsenal have now kept another clean sheet and taken eight wins from nine league games. The win came days after Mikel Arteta criticised his side for crashing out of the League Cup to fourth-tier Fleetwood, and his players answered with a strong start.
Liverpool are managed by Andoni Iraola, who played alongside Arteta as a boy in the Basque Country. The defeat was only his second in 14 games since arriving from Bournemouth.
What happens next
Arsenal return to league action with the title race in their hands, though City could yet be hit with a points penalty if they fail to overturn a guilty verdict on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League rules.
Liverpool, nine points adrift, now face a hard climb back into the title fight. For Nigerian fans who follow the English game closely, the gap at the top is the number to watch in the coming weeks.
