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Quick Answer
Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday 1 November, through Kai Havertz in the 16th minute, to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League, while Michael Carrick stays in charge at Manchester United for Tuesday against Roma and Sunday against Aston Villa.
How did Arsenal win at Anfield?
Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday 1 November, in the final game of Premier League Matchday 9. Kai Havertz scored the only goal in the 16th minute, tapping in from Declan Rice's low cross at the back post after Liverpool were caught trying to play out from the back. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson gave the ball away in the build up, Rice overlapped down the right, and Havertz finished from close range.
The goal was Havertz's latest big moment in a season where he has become Arsenal's man for the biggest games. It also made him the highest scoring German in Premier League history, passing Ilkay Gundogan's record, according to Sports Mole's match report. That is a record worth pausing on, because it puts a player who has divided opinion for years into a category of his own, and he did it with a tap in that looked simple only because the run and the cross were perfect.
After the goal, Liverpool threw everything at Arsenal. Al Jazeera's live blog put the shot count at 18 for Liverpool against 10 for Arsenal, and the home side had 28 touches in the Arsenal box in the first half alone, according to Sports Mole. Florian Wirtz curled a free kick against the crossbar, Alexis Mac Allister headed a good chance over the bar from close range, and Liverpool had four penalty appeals turned down in the first half. Yet David Raya had only one save to make, according to Sports Mole, because so much of Liverpool's pressure ended in blocked shots, headers over the bar, and crosses that never found a red shirt.
That is the story of the game in one paragraph. Liverpool were the team with the ball and the noise. Arsenal were the team with the shape, the discipline, and the goal. Mikel Arteta's side defended superbly after the break, kept Liverpool largely at arm's length, and saw the game out for a famous win. It was Arsenal's first Premier League win at Anfield since September 2012, when Arteta himself was captain of the side, and it ended a run of 14 years without a league victory at one of the hardest grounds in England.
What does the Matchday 9 table look like now?
Arsenal go to 24 points from nine games, three points clear of Manchester City on 21 points, also from nine games. Brighton are third on 19 points, Chelsea fourth on 16 points, and Liverpool fifth on 15 points, nine points behind Arsenal. Aston Villa, Tottenham and Bournemouth are all on 12 points, Fulham are 15th on nine points, and Manchester United are 16th on seven points, one point above the relegation zone.
| Team | Played | Points | Position | | Arsenal | 9 | 24 | 1st | | Manchester City | 9 | 21 | 2nd | | Brighton | 9 | 19 | 3rd | | Chelsea | 9 | 16 | 4th | | Liverpool | 9 | 15 | 5th | | Aston Villa | 9 | 12 | 9th | | Tottenham | 9 | 12 | Level with Villa | | Bournemouth | 9 | 12 | Level with Villa | | Fulham | 9 | 9 | 15th | | Manchester United | 9 | 7 | 16th |
The table matters because of what happened on Saturday. Manchester City lost 1-0 at home to Brighton, their second straight league defeat after winning their first seven games. Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 2-0 for a third straight win. Bournemouth beat Leeds United 2-0. Aston Villa drew 1-1 with Fulham at Villa Park, after John McGinn missed a penalty and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki spilled an Alex Iwobi corner over his own line for a 64th minute own goal, after Nicolas Jackson had put Villa ahead in the 39th minute.
Arsenal were the only team in the top five who could take full advantage on Sunday, and they did. A draw would have put them one point clear. A defeat would have left them level with City. A win puts them three clear, with a cushion that means they can afford a slip and still stay top, at least for one weekend. That is a very different position from the one Arsenal were in before the weekend, when they were level with City and chasing.
What went wrong for Liverpool?
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola will look at this game and see a team that did almost everything except score. His side had the territory, the shots, and the set pieces, but they could not turn pressure into a clear chance. Sports Mole's analysis of the defeat points to two problems. First, Liverpool struggled in build up against Arsenal's shape, and their attacks kept breaking down before they reached the final pass. Second, the introduction of Dominik Szoboszlai in the second half cost Liverpool momentum and grip on the contest, according to the same analysis.
The penalty shout will be talked about all week. Alexander Isak was pulled back by Jurrien Timber as he tried to reach a Bradley Barcola cross, and Liverpool felt they should have had a spot kick. The officials did not give it, and Arsenal survived. Liverpool were also, in the words of one analysis, punished for being too honest, while Arsenal are recognised as a side who play to the margins of the rules. That is a harsh description, but it captures why Arsenal keep winning tight games. They defend the box, they manage the referee, and they do not give away cheap goals.
Liverpool are now nine points behind Arsenal, with 29 games left. That is not a fatal gap in early November, but it is a gap that changes the title race. Liverpool need Arsenal and City to drop points, and they need to win their own games, starting with a Champions League trip to Fenerbahce on Wednesday evening. Arsenal, by contrast, travel to Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the luxury of a three point lead and a defence that has just kept Liverpool quiet at Anfield.
Why does Carrick survive for Roma and Villa?
Michael Carrick stays in charge at Manchester United for Tuesday's Champions League visit of Roma, and for Sunday's Premier League game against Aston Villa, according to reporting from The Guardian, The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano on Sunday and Monday. Carrick himself told TNT Sports after the Chelsea defeat that he expected to remain in charge for Roma, answering with a single word: "Yeah."
The reporting is consistent on the shape of the decision. Carrick was given a stay of execution after the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth last weekend, when many expected him to be sacked. Talks between director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada at Carrington decided he would stay. The Athletic, via Sky Sports' review of Sunday's papers, says Carrick is set to get a minimum of two further games. Romano says the intention is to trust Carrick for Roma and Villa, then assess the situation during the international break, with INEOS confident he has very good chances of surviving the crisis.
That does not mean the pressure has gone. United are 16th, one point above the relegation zone, on a nine game winless run across all competitions, their longest since September 1984 according to Sky Sports, and their longest since October to November 1988 on another count used in weekend reporting. They have two defeats in their first three Champions League games, leaving them 20th in the 36 team table and at risk of missing the knockout stages. Roma, according to Romano, are unbeaten and winning almost every game in Serie A, and they lost narrowly to Real Madrid in the Champions League after competing until the final 10 or 15 minutes. This is a very tough game for a team that has not won in nine.
There is also a successor story running alongside the stay of execution. Eddie Howe is reported as Wilcox's preferred candidate, with contact reportedly established between the parties, according to a report on Monday citing The Guardian. Howe was also reported last week as the favourite among the names discussed, with Nagelsmann liked by technical staff but seen as unlikely. No appointment has been confirmed, and no sacking has been announced. The only confirmed fact is that Carrick takes Roma and Villa, and the international break is the natural moment for a final decision.
Who is fit for United against Roma?
United have been handed one piece of good news before Roma. Patrick Dorgu has returned to full training after a hamstring injury suffered with Denmark, and he is in contention for the squad on Tuesday, according to GiveMeSport's injury report on Monday. Dorgu has been sidelined since the last international break, and Carrick has made him an important part of his team with his pace and direct running.
Four players remain out. Luke Shaw was not part of the training session and is likely to miss the game. Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte were also not involved, so Carrick will be without all four. Leny Yoro is available after serving his suspension against Como for his red card at Atletico Madrid. Lisandro Martinez is also available for Europe, because his red card against Chelsea on Saturday only applies to domestic games, even though he will miss league games through suspension.
Sports Mole's predicted lineup for Tuesday is: Lammens in goal; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez and Mazraoui in defence; Mainoo and Santos in midfield; Fernandes, Tielemans and Mount behind Mbeumo up front, with Matheus Cunha tipped for an impact role off the bench. That is a prediction, not a confirmed team, and Martinez's inclusion is the big call, given his recent criticism of the club and his domestic suspension. Carrick has to decide whether to trust Martinez in a game United cannot afford to lose, or go with Matthijs de Ligt as the safer option.
United host Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday 3 November, then host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday 8 November, in their final match before the international break. Those two games decide whether Carrick gets to the break still in charge, or whether the board uses the break to make the change they have twice decided not to make.
What happens next in the title race?
The next Premier League weekend is the last before the international break, and it is headlined by United against Villa on Sunday 8 November. Arsenal, City, Brighton, Chelsea and Liverpool all have games that can change the table again, but the shape of the race is now clear. Arsenal are top, three clear, with the best defence in the league on the evidence of Anfield. City have lost two in a row and need to stop the slide. Brighton are genuine top four contenders, not a story. Chelsea are fourth and building. Liverpool are fifth and chasing.
For Arsenal fans, the Anfield win is the kind of result that wins titles. It was not pretty, it was not dominant, but it was controlled, disciplined, and ruthless in the one moment that mattered. Havertz scored, Raya had one save to make, and Arsenal left Anfield with three points for the first time in 14 years. That is what champions do, and Arsenal are now three points clear at the top because of it.
Related live posts: Chelsea Beat Man Utd, Brighton Stun Man City, and Liverpool v Arsenal Tonight: Matchday 9 Fallout, and Liverpool v Arsenal on Sunday: Saka and Saliba Out, Rice Doubt and the Anfield Record Arsenal Must Break.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal live blog, 1 November 2026; The Hindu, Arsenal beats Liverpool to claim Premier League top spot, 2 November 2026; Sports Mole, Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal result and reaction, 1 November 2026, and Arsenal record breaking defence at Anfield, 2 November 2026; Liverpool FC, Match report: Liverpool narrowly beaten by Arsenal at Anfield, 1 November 2026; Malay Mail, No axe yet for Carrick despite ninth game without a win, 1 November 2026; The Guardian via SportBible, Man Utd make decision on Michael Carrick, 1 November 2026; GiveMeSport, Man Utd injury news: Dorgu returns to training, 2 November 2026; Sports Mole, Manchester United predicted lineup vs Roma, 1 November 2026; TeamTalk, Romano reveals Man Utd verdict on sacking Carrick, 2 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored in Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal?
Kai Havertz scored in the 16th minute, tapping in from Declan Rice's low cross at the back post, after Liverpool were caught trying to play out from the back.
How many points clear are Arsenal now?
Arsenal have 24 points from nine games, three points clear of Manchester City on 21 points, with Brighton third on 19 points and Liverpool fifth on 15 points.
What record did Kai Havertz set at Anfield?
Havertz became the highest scoring German in Premier League history, passing Ilkay Gundogan's record, with his 16th minute goal at Anfield.
When did Arsenal last win a league game at Anfield before Sunday?
September 2012, when Mikel Arteta was captain of the side, making Sunday's win the first in 14 years.
Is Michael Carrick still Manchester United manager?
Yes. Carrick stays in charge for Tuesday against Roma and Sunday against Aston Villa, with the international break the natural moment for a final decision, according to Guardian, Athletic and Romano reporting.
Who is fit for Manchester United against Roma?
Patrick Dorgu has returned to training and is in contention, while Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte are out, and Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez are available for the European game.
