Havertz Strike Earns Arsenal 1-0 Win at Anfield

The decisive moment

Arsenal left Anfield with a 1-0 Premier League victory over Liverpool, with Kai Havertz’s 16th-minute goal proving the difference. Declan Rice supplied the assist and Havertz finished with his left foot to put the visitors ahead early.

That was the only goal of the match. Arsenal protected their advantage through the remainder of the first half and a scoreless second half, completing a disciplined away result in Round 9 of the 2026/27 season.

Liverpool’s pressure, Arsenal’s outcome

Liverpool led several of the match’s attacking measures. They had 56% possession to Arsenal’s 44%, completed 378 passes from 461 attempts at an 82% success rate, and recorded 111 attacks compared with Arsenal’s 86. Their 72 dangerous attacks also exceeded Arsenal’s 51.

The home side produced 17 total shots, including 14 from inside the box, while Arsenal had 10 shots, six of them from inside the area. Liverpool also won seven corners to Arsenal’s four and delivered 33 crosses, compared with 10 from the visitors.

But the final figures underline the key issue for Liverpool: none of their 17 attempts was on target. Arsenal, in contrast, placed three shots on target and had the match’s only finish. Liverpool created one big chance but missed it; Arsenal also created one big chance and did not miss one.

Liverpool struck the woodwork once, while Arsenal did not hit the frame. The numbers point to sustained Liverpool territory and volume, but Arsenal held firm where it mattered most and retained their one-goal lead.

Rice leads the way

Rice was named Player of the Match with a rating of 7.71. His assist for Havertz directly settled the contest, and he finished ahead of all other players in the ratings.

Arsenal’s highest-rated players behind Rice were Ezri Konsa at 7.53, Gabriel at 7.37 and Havertz at 7.23. Riccardo Calafiori received a 7.10 rating, while Martin Ødegaard was rated 7.07 and Jurriën Timber 7.00.

For Liverpool, Milos Kerkez was their highest-rated player at 7.19, narrowly ahead of Virgil van Dijk on 7.16. Alexander Isak scored 6.97 and Alexis Mac Allister 6.96.

Arsenal also had the stronger numbers in duels, winning 64 to Liverpool’s 58, and in tackles, making 24 to Liverpool’s 17. They won 16 tackles compared with Liverpool’s 11, a statistical reflection of the visitors’ ability to contest key phases without needing the majority of possession.

Second-half changes and discipline

Liverpool made five substitutions. Dominik Szoboszlai entered in the 59th minute, Rio Ngumoha in the 67th, and Lewis Koumas, Víctor Muñoz and Konstantinos Tsimikas all came on in the 81st minute.

Arsenal used four changes: Myles Lewis-Skelly arrived in the 62nd minute, while Viktor Gyökeres and Piero Hincapié were introduced in the 84th. Mikel Merino came on in the 88th minute.

Both teams collected four yellow cards. Liverpool’s bookings went to Bradley Barcola, Milos Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister, with Arsenal receiving cautions for Noni Madueke, Lewis-Skelly, Timber and David Raya. Raya’s card came in the third minute of added time for time wasting.

There was also a VAR review in the 30th minute concerning a potential Liverpool penalty. The recorded event was a review, and the match continued with Arsenal’s 1-0 lead intact.

Final word

Arsenal’s winning margin was narrow, but the decisive numbers were clear: Havertz scored, Rice created the goal, and Liverpool finished without a shot on target despite their territorial and statistical edge. At full time, Arsenal had the goal and the three points from Anfield.