Arsenal beats Liverpool 1-0 to end Anfield torment and go top of the Premier League

Arsenal eked out its first win at Anfield in 14 years by beating Liverpool 1-0 through Kai Havertz’s first-half goal to climb to first place in the Premier League on Sunday.

Not since 2012 — when current manager Mikel Arteta was commanding the team’s midfield — had Arsenal won at Liverpool’s intimidating home ground.

The curse was broken by Havertz, who slotted home a close-range finish at the back post after a low center across the face of goal by all-action midfielder Declan Rice in the 16th minute.

Arsenal then defended doggedly, especially in the first half when the visitors were pinned back by Liverpool, to keep its sixth clean sheet in nine games of a title defense that is going according to plan.

With this eighth victory of the campaign, the Gunners leapfrogged Manchester City into top spot.

Perhaps more presciently, given the uncertainty surrounding City’s future following its guilty verdict for large-scale financial rule-breaking, Arsenal is now five points ahead of third-place Brighton – the only team to defeat the defending champions so far.

The loss breaks a run of five straight wins by Liverpool since its only previous defeat this season — by Man City, also at Anfield on Oct. 11.

During the furious onslaught in the final 25 minutes of the first half, Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar with a free kick, Alexis Mac Allister headed over the bar when unmarked and Liverpool had a number of penalty appeals waved away.

Liverpool stayed in fifth place, already nine points behind Arsenal.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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