Arsenal finally ends its Anfield torment

Arsenal eked out its first win at Anfield in 14 years, beating Liverpool 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Kai Havertz, and climbed back into first place in the Premier League on Sunday.

Not since 2012 — when current manager Mikel Arteta was commanding the team's midfield — had Arsenal won at Liverpool's intimidating home ground.

The curse was broken by Havertz, who slotted home a close-range finish at the back post after a low pass across the face of goal by all-action midfielder Declan Rice in the 16th minute.

Arsenal then defended doggedly, especially in the first half when it was pinned back by Liverpool, to keep its sixth clean sheet in nine games of a title defense that, so far, is going according to plan.

"In the end, that defensive line, the way we stick together, that togetherness we have, is undefeated," Rice said. "It's nothing I've ever seen before."

With this eighth victory of the campaign, the Gunners leapfrogged Manchester City into top spot and hold a three-point lead.

Perhaps more importantly, given the uncertainty surrounding City's future following its guilty verdict for large-scale financial rule-breaking, Arsenal is now five points ahead of third-place Brighton — the only team to defeat the defending champion so far.

The loss breaks a run of five straight wins for Liverpool since its only previous defeat this season — to City, also at Anfield, on Oct 11.

During the furious onslaught in the final 25 minutes of the first half, Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar with a free kick, Alexis Mac Allister headed over the bar while unmarked and Liverpool had a number of penalty appeals waved away.

Ultimately, though, the host didn't have a shot on target all match and stays in fifth place, already nine points behind Arsenal.

"Some days, it feels like we are at the top," said Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, "and some days it feels like we are not even close. It takes time to get to the top."

Critical mistake

The only goal was avoidable on Liverpool's part.

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker attempted a short pass out from the back at a goal kick, but it got intercepted by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who set up the counterattack.

The ball was fed to the right, where Rice — on the overlap — threaded a cross between Alisson and Liverpool's defenders, teeing up Havertz for an easy finish that made him the all-time leading German scorer in the Premier League. He has 46 goals, one more than former City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

Alisson might have produced a world-class save late on to tip aside a curling shot by Christos Tzolis, but it will be his critical early error that will be remembered.

Despite the setback, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said there were plenty of positives.

"I loved the reaction from my players after going 1-0 down. We finished the first half very well, kept pushing. I loved a lot of moments in the game," he said.

"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. (There are still) a lot of games to play."

On whether his side should have had a penalty, he was in no doubt, suggesting Alexander Isak's honesty in not falling over after being held by Jurrien Timber had worked against him.

"There is a clear grab of the shirt. Alex was just in front of him, he was going to head in front of the goal, but couldn't because (Timber) had hold of his shirt," he said. "I don't understand why they didn't call it, probably because he has not gone to the floor."

Forgetting about Fleetwood

In the space of five days, Arsenal has been eliminated by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in the English League Cup and won at arguably the toughest ground to visit in England.

Getting beaten by plucky Fleetwood in a penalty shootout was one of the Gunners' most embarrassing results in their history, even if it was a largely second-string team deployed by Arteta. He restored all of his regulars to the lineup on Sunday and they toughed out the hardest examination so far in their team's title defense.

"This is the magical thing about football," Arteta said. "It's so unpredictable, the next result.

"We just said, after the last few days, after the defeat against Fleetwood, that things happen for a reason and that's going to give us another spring of hunger and belief to go and win. What the team has done here today is incredible," Arteta added.

"(Liverpool) are in a really good moment. It was really deserved, to come here and win in the manner that we have done, I think the players deserve so much credit."

Arsenal will gain confidence from this — and from the sight of City losing back-to-back league games, first against Aston Villa on Oct 24 and then against Brighton on Saturday.