Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola hug before kickoff during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, UK on 3 January 2026.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola hug before kickoff during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, UK on 3 January 2026.
Kai Havertz scored the only goal in the 16th minute as Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday, securing their first Premier League win at the ground in 14 years.
The reigning champions had not won at the ground since September 2012. Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla scored in a 2-0 win on 2 September 2012. Mikel Arteta played the full 90 minutes of that match.
Arsenal drew five and lost eight of their 13 league matches at Anfield after that win. The most recent defeat came in August 2025, when Dominik Szoboszlai’s 83rd-minute free-kick gave Liverpool a 1-0 victory.
In May 2025, Arsenal came back from 2-0 down at Anfield to draw 2-2. Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino scored after Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz had put Liverpool ahead.
A 1-1 draw in December 2023 featured goals from Gabriel and Mohamed Salah.
The win lifted Arsenal to 24 points from nine games, three clear of Manchester City. City lost 1-0 at home to Brighton on Saturday. Liverpool stayed fifth on 15 points.
Arsenal had been knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday, losing on penalties to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.
Liverpool did not register a single shot on target. It was the first time that had happened to Liverpool in a Premier League match at Anfield since Opta records began in 2003.
The goal began when Martin Odegaard intercepted a loose pass from Alisson Becker. Declan Rice then surged down the right and crossed low for Havertz to finish at the back post.
Liverpool pushed back, with Florian Wirtz curling a free-kick against the bar and Alexis Mac Allister heading over.
Arteta praised the home side afterwards.
“I want to give credit to Liverpool, the manner that they played, the way they are set up,” he said. “To Andoni and what they’re doing because they are a top side, and it’s very difficult.
“That’s why I think winning here deserves even more credit. I didn’t know about that stat, but that’s incredible.
“It didn’t feel like this to be fair on the pitch because there were very little margins sometimes when they had the opportunity to shoot, and it’s a team that shoots a lot. So you have to be so good at blocking shots and preventing those spaces for them to get into there.
“It’s our commitment of every single player in every action consistently to deliver those kind of stats and to do it against this team. It’s something remarkable, I would say.”
Asked whether Liverpool deserved a penalty, Mikel Arteta said he had not seen the incident. He said his players “loved the mission” of winning at Anfield for the first time in 14 years.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.