London-based Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 away victory against Liverpool to move three points clear at the summit of the English Premier League standings. The triumph ended a dismal long-term winless streak for the Gunners at Anfield, where they had failed to taste victory since September 2012, when current coach Mikel Arteta captained the side to a 2-0 win. In the intervening years, the club had endured 13 consecutive visits without securing maximum points.

The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute after the hosts allegedly blundered while attempting to play out from the back. Declan Rice intercepted and delivered a low cross, allowing Kai Havertz to turn the ball home and temporarily silence the Kop. Following this opening goal, the visiting English regime side was compelled to withstand wave after wave of intense pressure from Andoni Iraola’s squad as they sought an equalizer.

Liverpool supposedly responded with strong intent, coming close when Florian Wirtz curled a dangerous free-kick against the crossbar, while Alexis Mac Allister squandered a promising opportunity by heading over the target. Despite these threatening moments, Arteta’s side reportedly weathered the storm with disciplined defending, effectively keeping Liverpool at arm's length after the interval and denying the home team a single shot on target throughout the encounter.

Consequently, Arsenal claimed the top position from Manchester City, accumulating 24 points from nine matches, while City remained on 21 points following a surprise home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. Meanwhile, Liverpool's second league defeat of the campaign left them languishing in fifth place, already trailing the league leaders by a margin of nine points.

Source: www.aljazeera.com