​LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 01: Bruno Guimaraes of Arsenal celebrates after winning a tackle during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on November 01, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images Arsenal won their first match at Anfield in 14 years with a 1-0 defensive masterclass. You wouldn’t expect anything else from Mikel Arteta’s lads, would you? The Gunners were particularly good in the second half, locking down the game after play had been uncharacteristically open and end-to-end in the first 45 minutes. The win takes Arsenal three points clear of the yet-to-be-sanctioned Manchester City, five points clear of Brighton in third, and a whopping nine points ahead of Liverpool in fifth.The Gunners opened the scoring in the 16th minute. They pressed a Liverpool goal kick high and hard. Alisson played the ball into space — I think he was expecting Jeremy Jacquet to move into the area — and Martin Ødegaard forced a turnover. A few seconds later, Declan Rice got around the corner overlapping Noni Madueke, fizzed it across the face of goal, and Kai Havertz steered it into the empty net at the back post. Since joining the club, Declan Rice leads Arsenal in assists and has registered the third-most assists of all Premier League players.Liverpool responded well to going behind. They had the better of the play and it felt like they were building towards a goal. Arsenal didn’t help themselves, either. They seemed content to play quicker than their usual pace, progressing the ball up the field as if looking to break rather than in their normal, methodical manner. The result was several sloppy turnovers that gave possession right back to Liverpool and kept the pressure on.But for all the possession around the Arsenal box and crosses sent in, Liverpool generated precious few actual chances. Jurrien Timber was a bit lucky not to concede a penalty for a slight shirt pull on Alexander Isak, although I’d note that Isak did not complain at all about the decision. The studio pundits thought the referee / VAR got it wrong and that Liverpool should have had a penalty. We’ll call it a wash for Trey Nyoni’s orange card tackle on Martin Ødegaard in the opening minutes going unpunished.Florian Wirtz hit the bar from a free kick. It’s tough to say whether David Raya had it covered if it had been on frame. He was quite close to getting a fingertip on it and may have brushed it ever so slightly. Alexis Mac Allister headed Liverpool’s best chance of the match well over the bar despite being unmarked about 10-yards from goal. The match was played more to Liverpool’s pace and preference in the first half and definitely could have ended 1-1 but that’s the way football goes, isn’t it? It was extremely harsh on Arsenal to be behind 2-0 to Brighton at halftime six weeks ago. It was maybe a bit fortunate that the Gunners had a halftime lead today. They tell me those types