Manchester City suffered a major setback in their Premier League title chase after being held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Everton on Monday.
City had to rely on a stoppage-time equaliser from Jérémy Doku to rescue a point in a pulsating encounter at Goodison Park. The winger, who had earlier opened the scoring, struck deep into injury time to deny Everton a famous victory.
The result leaves City on 71 points from 34 matches, five behind leaders Arsenal, who have played a game more. With only a few matches remaining, City now depend on Arsenal dropping points to revive their title ambitions.
Speaking after the match, City manager Pep Guardiola admitted the situation is no longer in their control. He noted that while the draw was better than defeat, the title race has now shifted in Arsenal’s favour.
City appeared to be heading for a loss before Doku’s late intervention, as many travelling fans had begun leaving the stadium. The equaliser capped a chaotic second half in which Everton mounted a spirited comeback.
After a composed first-half display that saw Doku curl home a fine opener, City lost their grip on the game after the break. Everton capitalised on defensive lapses, starting with Thierno Barry, who intercepted a poor back pass to level the score in the 68th minute. Although initially ruled offside, the goal stood after review.
Jake O’Brien then headed Everton in front five minutes later, before Barry grabbed his second goal in the 81st minute following another defensive error.
City responded quickly, with Erling Haaland reducing the deficit in the 83rd minute after breaking through the defence and calmly finishing over the goalkeeper.
Doku eventually completed the comeback with a superb strike in the 97th minute, preserving City’s 12-game unbeaten run in the league.
Everton, now sitting mid-table, continue to push for a potential European spot. Manager David Moyes admitted recent late goals conceded could impact their final position but praised his team’s performance against the defending champions.
With just a handful of games left, the title race remains tense, but City’s hopes now hinge on slip-ups from Arsenal in the closing stages of the season.
