Four days after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Fleetwood Town, Arsenal won 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday. It was their first Premier League win away at Liverpool in 14 years. Kai Havertz scored the only goal in the 16th minute, finishing a move set up by Declan Rice after an error by Alisson. The result puts Mikel Arteta’s side three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Liverpool came closest to an equaliser when Florian Wirtz hit the woodwork. Arsenal held on to inflict a second defeat on Andoni Iraola since he took charge at Anfield.
Havertz punishes a slow Liverpool start
The game was settled early. Liverpool started slowly and Arsenal took advantage. Rice’s delivery and a mistake from Alisson gave Havertz a chance he did not waste, and the visitors had a lead to protect with more than 70 minutes left.
Iraola admitted afterwards that his side had paid the price for their sluggish opening. Liverpool pushed for most of the remaining time but could not find a way through. The best chance fell to Wirtz, whose effort came back off the frame of the goal.
Arteta did not claim Arsenal had dominated. “We had an element of luck as well and we had the quality in the right moments as well to hurt them,” he said.
Liverpool had arrived on a run of five straight wins in all competitions, although Iraola had pointed out before the game that only two of them came in the league. The Arsenal defeat is a setback to a team still catching up with the leaders. Iraola had also beaten Arteta in three of their previous four meetings while in charge of Bournemouth, so this result breaks that pattern too.
From Fleetwood to Anfield in four days
Arsenal travelled to Merseyside under pressure. Their midweek Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood finished 1-1, and the League Two side won the penalty shootout 5-3. It was one of the biggest shocks of the domestic season, and it raised questions about Arsenal’s depth and focus.
Arteta said the defeat had shaped Sunday’s performance. “The defeat against Fleetwood looks the end of the world, but then you have to pick yourself up,” he said.
He had described the prospect of winning at Anfield as “magical” before the game. Afterwards he said his players had “loved the mission”, adding: “And the mission was something that we didn’t accomplish in 14 years.”
Arsenal were also missing teenager Max Dowman, who is serving a three-match ban for violent conduct. Their league form had held up through the cup exit: they beat Everton 2-0 before the trip north.
A 14-year wait ends, and what it means for the title race
Arsenal’s last league win at Anfield came in September 2012, when goals from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla gave Arsene Wenger’s side a 2-0 victory. Since then the ground has been one of the hardest away trips in English football for Arsenal. Over more than a decade they lost heavily there several times and rarely took anything away.
That run covered most of Arteta’s time as Arsenal manager. His side had finished as runners-up in recent seasons without being able to win the biggest away games, and Anfield was the clearest example. Winning there in early November, a week after losing to a fourth-tier club, gives this team evidence that it can respond to setbacks.
The table now shows:
- Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Premier League
- Liverpool’s gap to the leaders wider, with Iraola’s side still searching for consistent league form
- Arsenal’s only cup setback of the autumn followed by a statement league win
Arteta would not talk about the title. Asked whether the result made Arsenal favourites, he said: “Today is too early.” There are still more than 25 league games to play, and Arsenal’s recent near-misses make that caution understandable.
For Liverpool, the defeat raises questions about Iraola’s first season. His heavy squad rotation has worked in the cup competitions and in Europe. It has not yet turned into the league results needed to keep up with the leaders, and a home defeat to a direct rival makes the gap harder to close.
Arsenal’s week shows how quickly things change at the top. On Wednesday Arteta was explaining a defeat at Highbury Stadium in Fleetwood. On Sunday he was describing a historic win at Anfield, with his side top of the table.
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I checked this story online before writing it, and it’s real. Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal was played on Sunday 1 November 2026. Havertz scored in the 16th minute after Rice’s assist and an Alisson error. The Fleetwood defeat (1-1, lost 5-3 on penalties) came four days earlier.
A few things to check before publishing:
– **”Magical”:** Arteta used the word before the match, not after it. The article attributes it that way.
– **The 2012 win:** The Podolski and Cazorla scorers and the September date come from my own knowledge. No source I found today confirmed them.
– **The 14-year figure:** Football360 describes the run as 13 games without a win at Anfield rather than 14 years. I used the 14-year wording from ESPN and Goal.
– **Left out:** I didn’t include exact points totals or second place in the table, because I couldn’t confirm them.
– **”Wednesday”:** The final paragraph calls the Fleetwood game “on Wednesday”. That comes from “four days earlier”, not from a source, so check it.
I also added the result and Arteta’s quotes to the existing Liverpool v Arsenal memory file.
Sources:
– [ESPN – Arsenal hold on for a big win at Liverpool](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50348895/liverpool-arsenal-live-analysis-reaction-statistics-premier-league)
– [ESPN – Arteta says Arsenal ‘loved the mission’](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50349973/arteta-arsenal-loved-mission-anfield-win)
– [Goal – Arteta ‘extremely proud’](https://www.goal.com/en/news/we-do-what-we-do-mikel-arteta-hails-historic-arsenal-win-anfield-four-days-fleetwood-shock/blt3ea82e2cdf91e74b)
– [Yahoo Sports – From Fleetwood embarrassment to ‘magical’ Anfield win](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fleetwood-embarrassment-magical-anfield-win-203230967.html)
– [Liverpool FC match report](https://liverpoolfc.com/news/match-report-liverpool-arsenal-premier-league-november-2026)
– [NBC Sports recap](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/live/liverpool-vs-arsenal-live-updates-score-goals-highlights-stats-2026-november-1)
– [VAVEL](https://www.vavel.com/en-us/soccer/2026/11/01/1277557-liverpool-vs-arsenal-live-score-premier-league.html)
– [Football360](https://football360.com.au/liverpool-arsenal-result-havertz-anfield/)
– [Barking & Dagenham Post (PA)](https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/national/26688472.mikel-arteta-says-shock-loss-fleetwood-inspired-arsenal-win-liverpool/)
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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