Arsenal go three points clear as Rice praises resilience after Anfield win

Arsenal moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after beating Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield, with Declan Rice praising the team's resilience. According to the Guardian's report on Monday, Rice supplied the pass for Kai Havertz's 16th-minute winner before Arsenal protected their lead to secure a landmark away result.

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The victory was Arsenal's first in the league at Anfield since 2012. It also added Liverpool's ground to a list of venues where they have already improved on last season's results. The Guardian reported that Arsenal have now won at Anfield, Villa Park, the Stadium of Light and the City Ground after failing to win at those grounds during their title-winning campaign.

Their defensive performance was reflected in an unusual statistic. Citing Opta, the Guardian said Liverpool did not record a shot on target, the first time that had happened in a Premier League home match since records began in 2003-04. Arsenal also threatened on the counterattack, while goalkeeper David Raya was booked for time-wasting in the 92nd minute as the visitors completed the win.

Rice said difficult victories would remain part of Arsenal's season, pointing to their previous league away match, a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. He acknowledged that the Forest performance had not been their best but stressed the value of getting the result. At Anfield, he credited the players' collective effort and Mikel Arteta's influence, saying the team needed strength and resilience against Liverpool's attacks.

Liverpool's frustration centred on a penalty appeal in the 21st minute, when Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak's shirt. No penalty was awarded. Dominik Szoboszlai told the Guardian that the incident was a significant moment and argued there was little separating the sides. He believed a successful spot-kick would have changed the contest, although that remained his assessment of an outcome that never occurred.

Szoboszlai also defended Isak's attempt to continue playing, saying the striker was focused on heading the ball towards goal. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola suggested he would tell his players to go down in the penalty area, while Szoboszlai said that was not their usual approach. The disputed decision remained central to Liverpool's reaction, but Arsenal left with the points and a wider lead at the summit.