A familiar feeling and yet at the same time a very new one for almost everyone in the Arsenal camp.

Of those in the travelling party making their way up to Liverpool from north London, only Mikel Arteta had previously tasted an Arsenal win in the Premier League at Anfield.

He was booked that day, not for leaving his technical area but for a foul in midfield, where he started alongside Abou Diaby and Santi Cazorla.

There have been some miserable treks to this part of the world since then for Arsenal. Two 5-1 hammerings and as many 4-0 defeats.

Even in recent seasons, when it has been far more competitive and Arsenal far more comfortable in this environment, still the hoodoo was not broken.

Until now. There was no great surprise about the manner in which this 1-0 Arsenal victory came. These were three points earned off the back of the defenders, steering the ship to safety in the choppiest of waters.

This was not a dominant display or even a convincing one on the whole. Far from it. For large periods, there were passages of play that would have slotted in fairly well to those heavy defeats in previous years.

Passion: Arsenal were more than up for the fight on Merseyside

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After falling behind to a lovely Arsenal move finished by Kai Havertz, Liverpool put the Gunners in a blender up until half-time. They played at 100 miles per hour and sent Arsenal for a spin.

Ezri Konsa twice stumbled on the ball. Aimless hacks were launched up the pitch. Bruno Guimaraes flew into one desperate challenge on the byline, cleaning out not only Bradley Barcola but Declan Rice as well in the process.

Arteta first appealed for calm and then screamed furiously at his players as the pressure continued. Arsenal lost duels and conceded ground. Alexis Mac Allister somehow headed over and Alexander Isak sliced wide.

And yet still Arsenal held firm. For no other side would this have felt sustainable and yet for Arsenal it strangely did. This is what they do. The occasion, the atmosphere, would have swallowed up many a team but not this one.

A victory at Anfield is a landmark for this Arsenal side, delivering in one of the few stadiums that had been left to conquer.

It is another key indicator of progress. As was the case at Villa Park, the City Ground and the Stadium of Light earlier this season, Arsenal picked up three points at a ground where they failed to do so last season.

Arteta's side are now seven points up on the equivalent fixtures. That is an ominous sign for those hoping to close the gap.

Of the 17 shots the Gunners faced, not a single one forced David Raya into action. Arsenal never had real control of the match and their decision-making on the ball was too often too frantic and rushed.

None of that was costly, though, because they are a remarkable defensive unit. In the second half, with Liverpool attacking The Kop, Arsenal gave up very little.

Konsa was shaky early on but ended up producing an exceptional defensive display. He threw himself in front of shots, as did Jurrien Timber and Gabriel.

It did not need to be a thing of beauty. Arsenal won 18 fouls in the match and plenty of them were soft. They were streetwise in using every bit of contact to draw free-kicks and ease the pressure.

As has often been the case at Anfield, Arsenal had to suffer. This time it was all worth it.