Liverpool fell to a defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League, with Kai Havertz scoring and Andoni Iraola's men unable to break the Gunners down. This is what we spotted.

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Liverpool penned Arsenal back for much of the contest between the two sides at Anfield, but any hopes of making a statement about the Reds entering the Premier League title race were blunted by a faltering attack.

Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the first half, with Arsenal starting well and earning a lead. Before the break, though, Liverpool was already well on top, with Florian Wirtz hitting the crossbar from a free-kick.

That was as close as Liverpool came, with some half-chances not converted. For all the Reds had the ball and looked dominant, it never felt inevitable that a goal was coming. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

Liverpool attack blunted

Liverpool spent mega money on its attacking stars for a reason. Bradley Barcola was lively here, and Alexander Isak had a couple of half-chances, but the strength of the Arsenal defense outweighed all that, ultimately making the difference.

While there is an argument that few Liverpool players would get into the Arsenal starting XI based on what they have achieved so far, there is a significant amount of potential still to be unlocked at Anfield. In a way, this was a reminder of the work that still needs doing.

At their best, Wirtz, Barcola and Isak are game-changers who are all a level above their Arsenal equivalents.

But here, Liverpool had 28 touches in the Arsenal box in the first half alone, which is the most on record (since 2008/09) in any game that the Gunners have played in that period.

That so many came from crosses was a slightly odd tactic against a team so proficient at defending in the air, but Liverpool simply couldn't force a breakthrough.

Andoni Iraola statement delayed

Andoni Iraola had won three of his last four matches against Arsenal, but this match was an altogether different test. As Liverpool boss, as he admitted before this game, you have to take a different approach.

That approach here was an attacking one, with Liverpool pinning Arsenal back for large periods. Mikel Arteta would have been pleased with his side's doggedness, but Jurrien Timber could easily have given away a spot kick for pulling Isak back.

Beyond that, Liverpool couldn't quite do enough to turn the pressure into anything tangible. Iraola is still waiting for a proper statement or breakout performance in a big game. The delay goes on.

Trey Nyoni stars

Trey Nyoni began the season as a prospect hoping to take on the minutes void left by Curtis Jones, but the teenager has swiftly become much more than just a squad option.

In starting here, and being preferred over Ryan Gravenberch, he continued an excellent start to the new campaign. He had already long eclipsed the number of minutes he played last term, and is now a regular.

It was a surprise call to some extent that he was given the start here, but he was in there on merit. Nyoni has been better than Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai was never going to be thrust straight back in.

Especially since this was his first Premier League start, Nyoni settled into things superbly.

Often the deepest Liverpool player with the ball at his feet and a sea of men in yellow closing him down, one wrong move and he would have cost his side a goal. That underlines the trust that Iraola has in the youngster, who was as calm as ever under pressure. The only surprise was that he was withdrawn from the action first.

Mikel Arteta proven right

Arteta said earlier in the week that he was "fully convinced" that Arsenal would win, even though the Gunners have not collected the three points at Anfield since September 2012, when Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla netted in a 2-0 victory. It was so long ago that the Spaniard was actually playing in that game.

Liverpool has, in some quarters, been talked up as a possible title contender. It was able to compete here, certainly, but the Arsenal nous and experience was telling. So too was the collective ability of its defense.

Premature Premier League title chatter?

If there is to be a Premier League title race this season, then it is almost certainly going to have to be Liverpool that challenges, assuming that there is not another significant twist in the Manchester City saga.

Brighton has done well to this stage, but that would take a mammoth effort to sustain considering Fabian Hurzeler's men are in Europe too.

But while Liverpool competed here and was pretty much, across the course of the game, only one mistake away from matching Arsenal, the gap between the sides is now nine points. Even at this stage, that feels commanding.