When it comes to holding a lead, there are few better managers in the game right now than Mikel Arteta.
The Arsenal manager masterminded another defensive masterclass on Sunday as the Gunners blanked Liverpool at Anfield, securing a 1-0 victory on an early goal by Kai Havertz.
Most importantly for Arsenal, the win moved them top of the Premier League table, taking advantage of Man City's loss to Brighton on Saturday to move three points clear into the lead.
There was much more to the victory, however, as it proved that Arsenal's ability to score early and then nullify the opposition attack has been a formidable — and sustainable — tactical approach.
MORE: Recap the Arsenal win over Liverpool with highlights and minute-by-minute commentary
Arsenal blank Liverpool on scoreboard in new Anfield low
Mikel Arteta engineered a defensively dominant performance on Merseyside today, as Arsenal kept their ninth clean sheet of the season.
Diving even deeper into the story of the game, it becomes clear how good Arteta's group has become at taking a lead and holding it, forcing the opponent not only into a lull but even into making mistakes in the final third, a masterclass in bending but not breaking.
For the first time in the Premier League era, Liverpool were held without a single shot on target during a league match at Anfield. This despite the fact Liverpool dominated possession for most of the match after Arsenal took the lead, and also ripped off 17 shots, but were unable to put a single on on target. Initially, Opta had given Liverpool winger Victor Munoz a shot on target for a very late header that David Raya easily caught, but later removed it.
Incredibly, this happened despite the fact that Liverpool had the most touches in the opposition penalty area by any side in the first half of a Premier League match against Arsenal since the data collection began in 2008, according to Opta.
This was not unique to Arsenal's time under Mikel Arteta. In fact, according to TNT Sports, the Gunners have won 81.1% of Premier League games under the Spaniard's stewardship when scoring first, securing all three points in 137 of 169 matches. Only three managers in history of the league have a better record — Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, and Jose Mourinho.
Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal team spirit after Liverpool win
The Arsenal boss was full of commendation for his squad that left it all on the line at Anfield, securing Mikel Arteta's first-ever managerial win at the Merseyside ground.
"I’m extremely proud of them," Arteta said after the match. "It's been 14 years [since Arsenal won at Anfield], that's a long time. I'm sure we made everybody attached to the club extremely proud today.
"Not only for the victory, but for the way we've done it. The spirit that we showed, the way we carried this shirt, this badge."
Arteta praised his team for the manner in which they competed despite suffering an unthinkable defeat midweek against fourth-tier side Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.
"That's the magical part about this game, that it can take you to really bad places, but four days later you have an incredible opportunity to do something historic and we've done it," Arteta said.
The Arsenal boss was thrilled with the manner in which his team managed to snatch the lead and hang onto it the whole game despite the pressure Liverpool put on them throughout the match, especially in the first half.
"We put everything into those actions," Arteta said. "Sometimes with more quality, sometimes with a bit less quality, sometimes we generated our own chaos. But as well, I think we have to be great for the players, for the situations and the chances that we generated against a top side today, some that we didn't put away."
