A defensive masterclass at Anfield saw Arsenal secure their first Premier League victory away at Liverpool in 14 years. 

Kai Havertz's 16th-minute tap-in—sparked by a rare Alisson Becker passing error out from the back—proved to be the only goal of the afternoon. 

While Andoni Iraola's Liverpool side dominated periods of possession and generated 18 shots, a yellow wall of resilient Gunners defending marshalled by Ezri Konsa kept the hosts completely at bay.

Striver.Football profiles the player ratings for both sides from a historic afternoon on Merseyside.

Liverpool

Allison Becker - 6

Should have done better with the pass in the build up to Arsenal’s opening goal for a keeper of his quality, stature and experience, but did not really have much else to do after. Made a vital save to deny Christzos Tzolis from netting his first goal for Arsenal.

Ronald Araujo - 6

Kept Christzos Tzolis at bay for much of the game, but still could not help his side avoid defeat.

Jeremy Jacquet - 6

Made a timely interception to stop Martin Odegaard from extending Arsenal’s lead at some point in the second half to underpin his brilliance but it still was not enough in the end.

Virgil Van Dijk - 6

Made a couple of timely interceptions to prevent Arsenal from extending their lead, looking very assured, but it was not enough to help Liverpool avoid defeat.

Milos Kerkez - 6

Tried to help Bradley Barcola create two v one situations down the left hand side especially in the first half, producing an energetic display.

Trey Nyoni - 6

Impressive and mature display as he kept things ticking for Liverpool in possession. Also dropped into the backline to aid the build up on numerous occasions, which created gaps his teammates would create.

Alexis Mac Allister - 6

Was crisp with his passing and should even have scored in the first half, but nor effective enough to influence the game’s outcome for Liverpool.

Bradley Barcola - 5

Tried to stretch Arsenal’s attack but was not effective at beating Jurien Timber.

Florian Wirtz - 6

Created a couple of chances and even had a freekick rattle the crossbar at some point in the first half but was quiet in the second.

Alexander Isak - 5

Struggled to get the better of Ezri Konsa and Gabriel who made a lot of last ditch tackles and interceptions. 

Cody Gakpo - 4

Struggled on the right wing, looking very ineffective before being subbed off by Rio Ngumoha.

Liverpool Subs

Dominik Szoboszlai - 5

Came on early on in the second half but could not get his team going in the hunt for an equaliser.

Rio Ngumoha - 5

Came on to bring a sense of directness but could not get the better of Pierro Hincapie or Ricardo Calafiori.

Kostas Tsimikas - N/A

Did not really have enough time to influence the outcome of the game.

Lewis Koumas - N/A

Did not really have enough time to influence the outcome of the game.

Arsenal

David Raya - 7

Looked assured in goal for Arsenal, but was protected a lot by his defenders during the game.

Jurien Timber - 7

Dealt well with the double threat of Milos Kerkez and Bradley 

Ezri Konsa - 9

No doubt the man of the match for Arsenal, as his last ditch tackling and anticipation of situations was immense, preventing Liverpool from creating inroads.

Gabriel -8

Looked as imperious as Konsa with his tackling, duel win ratio and anticipation of defensive situations.

Ricardo Calafiori - 7

Kept Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha quiet during the game before doing an equally tidy job as a defensive winger.

Bruno Guimares  - 5

Struggled to really impose himself in the game, and has yet to fully click with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard before being rightly hooked off.

Declan Rice -  7

Made a brilliant assist for Kai Havertz’s only goal of the game, and displayed an energetic performance all round covering a lot of ground for his team.

Martin Odegaard - 7

Was impactful in the build up to the goal, as it was his pressing that led to intercepting the ball, creating a sequence that resulted in Arsenal’s goal. 

Christzos Tzolis - 6

Looked a bit rusty after a spell on the sidelines, but did make a shot that forced Allison Becker into an excellent save.

Noni Madueke - 6

Worked hard tracking back to help Jurrien Timber, but was not really a threat in attack on the afternoon.

Kai Havertz - 7

Scored the opening goal to end a run of two months without a goal and pressed well from the front.

Arsenal Subs

Myles Lewis-Skelly - 5

Myles Lewis-Skelly came on as a sub and although he brought balance to the midfield, was a bit clumsy as he held on to the ball too long on occasion and overhit some passes in other situations.

Pierro Hincapie - N6

Shut Rio Ngumoha, preventing him from really creating anything.

Viktor Gyokeres - N/A

Did not have enough time to influence the outcome of the game.

Final Thoughts

Mikel Arteta's side showed the true grit of potential champions, executing a stubborn defensive game plan to perfection to move clear at the top of the Premier League table. 

For Liverpool, it is a harsh lesson in clinical efficiency. While Andoni Iraola can take pride in his team's creative structure and the bold debut of Trey Nyoni, failing to register a single shot on target at Anfield will leave the Reds with plenty of questions to answer ahead of the next matchday.