Defensive 'masterclass' and elite Rice - how Arsenal ended Anfield torment — SkimNews
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- Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield through Kai Havertz's first-half winner, ending a 14-year wait for victory there.
- Liverpool failed to register a shot on target at home for the first time on record, despite pinning Arsenal back during a first half dominated by their pressure.
- Declan Rice made 62 touches, the most of any Arsenal player, assisted Havertz's winner and made crucial interceptions under pressure.
- Mikel Arteta called the defensive performance "remarkable"; under him, Arsenal have won 81 per cent of league games in which they opened the scoring.
- Arsenal won 18 fouls, with Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke drawing three apiece to stifle Liverpool's momentum; Ezri Konsa won all eight duels he contested.
- Gary Neville called the display a "defensive masterclass," likening Arsenal's nous to the compactness of a Jose Mourinho-style side.
- Jamie Carragher said Arsenal were getting close to putting their back four in the same conversation as the famous 1989 and 1991 title winners, and called Declan Rice "world class" and "the best midfield player in the Premier League by a long way."
Why it matters: Arsenal's 1-0 win moved them top, while their nine-game title defence continues to go perfectly to plan. Liverpool registered zero shots on target despite heavy first-half pressure, so the home side ended the 14-year wait for an Arsenal victory with neither a goal nor a shot on target.
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