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Arsenal laid a stubborn hand on top spot in the Premier League and refused to let go during a defensive masterclass that earned a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. There were many heroes from the Gunners' first league win in the red half of Merseyside since 2012, and even room for one or two villains.
Kai Havertz was, for once, firmly amongst the heroes after his 16th-minute winner. The goal was assisted by some typically industrious work from Declan Rice, who looked anything but less than 100 percent, while reminding football fans everywhere what a classic midfielder looks like.
Rice created Arsenal's lone attacking moment of note, but he was also a powerhouse at the other end of the pitch. Where Mikel Arteta's players demonstrated truly awesome intensity and application for their defensive duties. Those who delivered at the back spared the blushes of faltering culprits up top.
Here's the worst-to-first ranking from a vintage '1-0 to The Arsenal' performance.
Every Arsenal player ranked from worst to best in the 1-0 win at Liverpool
15. Mikel Merino
Arteta's favorite auxiliary striker barely had enough time on the pitch to make a dent, but Merino's late introduction in the 88th minute revealed a lot about how the Gunners managed this game. Liverpool had already resorted to keeping Virgil van Dijk up front as a magnet for long punts forward, so Arteta countered with perhaps the best header of the ball in his squad, and another attacking avenue was denied the hosts.
14. Piero Hincapié
Similar to Merino, Hincapié hardly had sufficient minutes to rank highly, but the rugged Ecuadorian did help symbolise what Arsenal were all about on Sunday, November 1. Determined, physical and ready and able to snuff out any possible threat from the home side. Hincapié did his bit by doubling up after Liverpool overloaded the flank with substitutes Victor Muñoz and Rio Ngumoha.
13. Viktor Gyökeres
The striker Arteta just loves to ignore had some useful moments holding the ball up with his back to goal and providing Arsenal an outlet during the final 10 minutes. Gyökeres might've had more to show for his cameo if the next sub had played a better pass.
12. Myles Lewis-Skelly
Just like Arteta trusts Havertz more than Gyökeres to lead the press, the Gunners' manager also has faith in Myles Lewis-Skelly being safer on and off the ball than Bruno Guimarães. Unfortunately, had Lewis-Skelly had Guimarães' technique, he'd have sent Gyökeres through on goal for a sweet second late doors. At least Lewis-Skelly was active and consistent harassing Liverpool players searching for the ultimately elusive equaliser.
11. Christos Tzolis
There was something decidedly not-at-the-level about the unimaginative way Tzolis tried to expose Liverpool right-back Ronald Araújo. The returning winger was all straight-line pace, push and go and nothing else. More twists, turns and tricks please, Christos.
10. Noni Madueke
As much as Tzolis lacked inspiration, Noni Madueke was barely any better. He looked lively, but the former Chelsea man rarely lacks energy and purpose. It's just a shame Madueke couldn't muster enough quality end product.
9. Martin Ødegaard
Madueke's an erratic player, but Martin Ødegaard has to be Arsenal's Mr. Consistent as the lone artful indulgence Arteta allows in his starting XI. Sadly, the skipper never got his radar properly aligned. Numerous passes were overhit and there were too many touches in shooting positions. To his credit, Ødegaard, like so many others in an Arsenal shirt, stayed committed to pressing high and thwarting every Liverpool attacking raid.
8. Bruno Guimarães
He was on the pitch barely over an hour before Arteta's trigger finger got itchy, but Guimarães proved more than a Rice-lite supporting act. Instead, the Brazilian was aggressive and vocal in defence, while Guimarães never lost his appetite for looking up and at least trying to thread a quality pass forward.
7. Jurriën Timber
Timber would place a couple of spots higher if this ranking was based on luck. The Dutchman certainly lived on his early, when his obvious shirt pull on Liverpool striker Alexander Isak went unpunished.
A sense of relief was obvious for a few overly cautious minutes afterwards, but Timber gradually grew into the game. His quickness across the deck and strength in the duels proved invaluable to the protection of Arsenal's rearguard action.
6. Riccardo Calafiori
Liverpool tested Calafiori early and often, and the Italian just about passed those trials. He was first faced with the mercurial menace of Cody Gakpo, and Calafiori mixed it physically.
It was a different challenge once Muñoz and Ngumoha were accelerating and buzzing around him at multiple angles. Calafiori needed the help, but he wasn't shown too many clean pairs of heels.
What was missing from his performance was some of his exciting endeavour going forward. That's understandable when the Gunners spent so much time trying to preserve their precious clean sheet.
5. Ezri Konsa
Like Timber, Ezri Konsa had to overcome his own share of shaky moments. Notably, after the ex-Aston Villa central defender played a few errant passes out from the back.
Another player might have wilted in heat of the Anfield cauldron, but to his credit, Konsa showed impressive resolve. He recovered to stay strong at the heart of a back line that simply wouldn't break.
4. David Raya
Arsenal's No. 1 took more than his fair share of bumps and bruises in aerial duties. Some of the marks on Raya were even inflicted by fanatical defenders stretching every sinew to complete a desperate clearance.
Those same defenders will admire the way Raya absorbed the punishment and still stayed strong whenever the ball was in the air. His rapport with those doing battle just in front of him typifies the well-drilled unit that underpins so many of Arsenal's victories.
3. Gabriel Magalhães
Of all the chest-pumping, hoof-and-head warriors within the Gunners' back five, nobody is louder, braver and more focused than Gabriel. Arsenal's arch agitator at the back barked instructions, goaded Liverpool players and hounded match officials during every minute.
Gabriel also found the time for some now typical last-ditch sliding tackles, well-timed blocks and crucial clearances. The Brazilian played like what he is, the Gunners' defensive talisman.
He has that status because he simply loves doing the dirty work, and nobody does that stuff better than Gabriel.
2. Kai Havertz
If Gabriel is the immovable object at the back, Havertz is the irresistible force up front. He's good for at least one offside flag each half, and the German will need three chances to score one goal, but Havertz can be trusted to carry the fight up top.
He was tenacions pressing Liverpool defenders into mistakes, and Havertz won his share of tussles in the air. The 27-year-old also continued his happy habit of scoring against the big guns, when his close-range tap-in added to recent top-flight goals against Chelsea and Manchester City.
He's not as much of a scoring threat as Gyökeres, and these Gunners will rarely be fluid in attack with Havertz leading the line. Yet, Arteta knows if he needs a frontman to tirelessly toil and still come up clutch against top opposition in a difficult game, Havertz is his man.
1. Declan Rice
Where to start with the engine of Arsenal's title charge? Rice was simply awe-inspiring at Anfield. He covered enough ground for three pitches, raided forward to create, then charged back to eliminate sudden danger.
Rice's almost supernatural energy levels were invaluable when the Gunners were under siege from a torrent of Liverpool pressure for the majority of the first half. He stayed strong after the break and was the best player on the pitch, largely because the others had tired, while Rice simply found another gear.
His ability to tap into enviable reserves of running power makes Rice a deluxe version of club cult fave Ray Parlour. If you know, you know.
Whichever Gunners great you compare him to hardly matters. Rice is forging his own legacy as the one player this Arsenal team can ill afford to be without.
A resolute machine becomes a soft touch without Rice.
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