Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal's determination after a 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday ended their 14-year wait for a win at Anfield. The Arsenal manager described the result as "historic" as his side moved three points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Kai Havertz provided the decisive goal in the 16th minute, giving Arsenal an advantage they protected through a demanding contest. Liverpool applied heavy pressure after conceding, but the visitors brought greater control to their performance after the interval and held on to secure all three points.
Liverpool finished without a shot on target, something that had never previously happened to them in a Premier League home match. Arsenal's defensive performance also stood in sharp contrast to their earlier league visits to Anfield. Before Sunday's game, they had managed only one clean sheet in their previous 27 league appearances at the ground.
The result ended a difficult sequence for Arsenal, who had lost eight of their previous 13 league games at Anfield. Arteta said the long wait for a victory reflected several factors, including psychological obstacles, the quality of Arsenal's play and decisions made at key moments. He believed his players had embraced the challenge of overcoming that history.
Arteta said Arsenal needed to get those elements right while accepting that Liverpool would force them into uncomfortable spells. He highlighted the hosts' ability to launch direct attacks and create disorder from seemingly little opportunity. His players had to remain committed during those passages, he said, because Liverpool could punish any lapse. He also praised Arsenal's competitiveness, their play and the chances they created.
The victory followed Arsenal's midweek elimination from the Carabao Cup by League Two side Fleetwood Town. Their response at Anfield took their Premier League record to eight victories and one defeat from nine matches, turning a difficult cup setback into a winning return to league action.
Arteta expressed pride in how the players and everyone around the team had responded to the disappointment. He described recovering from painful results as part of football and pointed to how quickly another opportunity could arrive. Within four days, Arsenal had gone from a damaging defeat to achieving a result that had eluded them since 2012.
