Premier League Daily Report - 2026-11-02: Arsenal end 14-year Anfield wait with 1-0 victory

Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday, ending a Premier League winless run at the ground that had stretched back to 2012. Kai Havertz scored the only goal, finishing from Declan Rice’s low cross towards the back post. The result returned Mikel Arteta’s side to the top of the table and represented their first victory at Anfield in 14 years. Liverpool had possession and produced 17 shots, but Arsenal’s organisation restricted the hosts to no attempts on target, an unprecedented outcome for Liverpool in a Premier League match at the stadium.

The victory strengthened Arsenal’s credentials as a side capable of winning difficult away fixtures through defensive control rather than sustained attacking dominance. Their performance frustrated Liverpool, who created pressure without converting it into clear chances, while the result gave Arteta an important psychological breakthrough at one of the division’s most difficult venues. Liverpool must now address a worrying lack of cutting edge, having also finished a top-flight match without a shot on target away to Arsenal in January. Arsenal’s reward was sole possession of first place after the weekend’s fixtures.

Brighton beat Manchester City 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with Yasin Ayari scoring in the 11th minute. Ayari converted Maxim De Cuyper’s delivery after a set-piece routine to give Fabian Hürzeler’s side an early lead. City dominated possession and created several opportunities across the match, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen preserved the advantage with late saves against Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Bernardo Silva. The defeat was City’s second consecutive league setback, while Brighton moved to within two points of the summit.

Brighton’s result was built on their ability to withstand sustained pressure after taking an early lead. Verbruggen’s late interventions proved decisive, ensuring that City’s territorial control did not produce an equaliser and securing a notable away clean sheet. For Pep Guardiola’s side, the back-to-back slip-ups increased the importance of their response in the next league fixture, particularly with Arsenal moving clear at the top. Brighton, meanwhile, emerged from the weekend as one of the leading challengers rather than merely an entertaining outsider.

Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scoring after half-time. The match was goalless at the interval following video-assistant referee overturns involving both sides. Rogers then broke the deadlock by converting a pass from Roméo Lavia before United defender Lisandro Martínez was dismissed for a second yellow card after conceding a penalty. Palmer converted the resulting spot-kick, reaching 50 Premier League goals in the process and completing Chelsea’s home victory.

The win returned Chelsea to fourth place and ended a difficult afternoon for United, whose task became significantly harder after Martínez’s dismissal. Palmer’s milestone added a personal landmark to a result that restored momentum for the home side, while the penalty gave Chelsea control of the closing stages. United’s defeat left them 17th in the table and extended their league run without a win to seven matches, according to reporting on the weekend’s market reaction. Michael Carrick’s side therefore face renewed scrutiny over their immediate Premier League form.

West Midlands Police launched an investigation after a 14-year-old boy handed himself in over an alleged taunt involving a photograph of Bradley Lowery during Coventry City’s 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday. Footage circulated on social media appeared to show an individual in the Coventry end using the image of the late Sunderland supporter to taunt visiting fans at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Police said the boy would be spoken to by officers, while the force worked with both clubs and kept Bradley’s family updated.

The incident prompted widespread outrage because Lowery, a Sunderland supporter, died aged six in 2017 after battling neuroblastoma. His mother, Gemma Lowery, issued an emotional appeal through the Bradley Lowery Foundation asking people not to direct hatred, threats or harm towards the boy or his family. Coventry had already said it was investigating the footage, and the police inquiry now places the alleged conduct within a formal process. The response from Lowery’s family emphasised remembrance and compassion rather than further abuse surrounding the case.

Sunderland’s board continued to back Régis Le Bris after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by newly promoted Coventry City, according to reports from local outlets. The loss left Sunderland bottom of the Premier League on five points, with the club having last won a league match in August and suffered six defeats in their opening nine fixtures. Recent results have increased scrutiny of Le Bris, but sources close to the club indicated that the hierarchy still believed stability offered the best route to improvement rather than a managerial change.

The reported stance gives Le Bris an opportunity to address Sunderland’s form with the existing football leadership rather than begin another reset. Supporters have questioned performances, tactics and team selections during a difficult opening to the campaign, while the defeat at Coventry intensified the pressure around the head coach. Sunderland finished seventh last season and earned European football, making the contrast with their current position particularly stark. The board’s continued confidence means the immediate focus will remain on collective improvement and results rather than recruitment of a replacement.

Jacob Ramsey was sent off in stoppage time during Newcastle United’s 1-0 home defeat by Everton on Monday and will miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Fulham. Ramsey entered in the 76th minute with Newcastle trailing to Thierno Barry’s goal, then received a booking deep into stoppage time before being shown a second yellow card two minutes later by referee John Brooks. The dismissal triggered a one-match suspension, leaving Newcastle without the midfielder for their next league fixture.

The defeat was Newcastle’s second in quick succession against Everton, who had also eliminated them from the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 victory the previous week. Ramsey’s suspension adds an immediate selection issue as Matthias Jaissle’s side attempt to halt that damaging sequence. Newcastle dropped to 13th after the latest loss and will face Fulham before returning from the international break to host Arsenal. Ramsey will then be available again, provided there are no further disciplinary developments.

Former Premier League midfielder James Milner completed the New York Marathon in three hours, nine minutes and four seconds at the weekend. The 40-year-old averaged seven minutes and 12 seconds per mile in his first major marathon after ending a career of more than 20 years over the summer. Milner, who represented Newcastle, Leeds, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton in the Premier League, used the event to test how his football fitness translated to long-distance running on a course known for its hills.

Milner’s time was slower than the marks recorded by Arjen Robben and Aaron Ramsey in their respective first efforts, but it remained a notable debut over the distance. His endurance had long been a defining part of his football career, including his record in Liverpool’s demanding lactate-threshold sessions. The marathon offered a fresh public chapter after retirement and underlined the former England international’s continued commitment to elite physical preparation. His performance also placed a recognisable Premier League figure in an event beyond the sport that made him famous.