Kai Havertz now has 46 Premier League goals, and that is the number that mattered most at Anfield on Sunday. His finish after 16 minutes sealed a 1-0 win for Arsenal over Liverpool and moved him past İlkay Gündoğan's previous mark of 45, making Havertz the competition's highest-scoring German player.

It also gave Arsenal a result with proper weight beyond the individual milestone. The win in Liverpool vs Arsenal moved Mikel Arteta's side to 24 points and kept them top of the table.

Havertz's goal was the whole story Arsenal needed

The game was decided early and cleanly enough. Havertz struck in the 16th minute, and Arsenal never needed a second goal because they controlled the match without the ball so well.

That record is not one to dress up. Forty-six Premier League goals is a concrete milestone, and doing it with the winner at Anfield gives it extra edge. Opta, quoted by caughtoffside.com, summed it up simply: "Kai Havertz is now the top German-scorer in Premier League history 😤🇩🇪"

There was support around him too. Declan Rice is part of the secondary keyword framing for a reason, because Arsenal's midfield platform allowed Havertz to stay decisive in advanced areas rather than getting dragged into a messy game.

Arsenal's control will annoy Liverpool more than the record

The wider team performance is what Liverpool should be dwelling on. They failed to register a shot on target, which is a blunt measure of how little David Raya was forced into.

Some of the noise after the match centred on whether Alexander Isak and Liverpool should have had a first-half penalty involving Jurrien Timber. That debate will run because these matches always generate one. Still, the stronger reading comes from the output Liverpool actually produced, which was no shots on target and no equaliser.

There is an even harsher stat on Arsenal's defensive work. Liverpool posted 0.00 xGOT, a record low for a visiting team at Anfield in the Premier League era. For all the attention on Havertz passing Gündoğan, Arsenal won this game because they gave Liverpool almost nothing to attack.

What the Anfield result changes

Havertz will get the personal headlines, and fairly so. One goal took him beyond Gündoğan and into a small slice of Premier League history.

Arsenal will care just as much about the standings. They are on 24 points after beating Liverpool 1-0, and their first Premier League win at Anfield since September 2012 sent them back to the top.

FAQ

Why is Kai Havertz's goal at Anfield a Premier League record?

Because the goal took Havertz to 46 Premier League goals, moving him clear of İlkay Gündoğan's previous German record of 45. It was also the winner in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

How did Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield in this match?

Arsenal won 1-0 thanks to Havertz's goal after 16 minutes. The visitors also kept Liverpool to 0 shots on target, which gives strong backing to the view that Arsenal's defensive control was a major reason for the result.

Did refereeing decide Liverpool vs Arsenal or did Arsenal control the game?

There was debate around a possible first-half penalty involving Jurrien Timber and Alexander Isak, but the firmer evidence from the match points to Arsenal's control. Liverpool finished with 0 shots on target in a 1-0 Arsenal win.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →