LIVERPOOL - Manchester City’s Premier League title ambitions suffered a significant setback on Monday as they were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Everton, with Jeremy Doku’s stoppage-time strike rescuing a point in a pulsating encounter.
City, now on 71 points from 34 matches, remain five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have played one game more. However, the result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side dependent on slip-ups from Arsenal in the closing weeks of the season. “It’s better than losing, but it’s no longer in our hands,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “Before it was, now it’s not. We still have games to play, and we’ll see what happens.” In a match packed with momentum swings, City appeared on the brink of defeat before Doku fired a superb effort into the top corner in the seventh minute of added time. The winger had earlier opened the scoring just before half-time with a curling strike that gave goalkeeper Jordan Pickford no chance.
City went into the break in control, but their composure unravelled after the interval. Everton capitalised on defensive lapses, beginning with Thierno Barry’s equaliser in the 68th minute after intercepting a misplaced pass. The goal, initially flagged offside, was awarded after review as Barry had not received the ball from a teammate.
The hosts surged ahead minutes later when Jake O’Brien powered in a header from a corner, and Barry doubled his tally in the 81st minute following another defensive error to put Everton firmly in command. “It’s always a pleasure to play against a big team like Manchester City,” Barry said. “We wanted more, but we have to keep pushing with three games left.”
City responded swiftly, with Erling Haaland reducing the deficit in the 83rd minute after breaking through the Everton defence and delicately lifting the ball over Pickford. The visitors continued to press relentlessly, and their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when Doku struck decisively to secure a crucial, albeit disappointing, point.
Despite extending their unbeaten league run to 12 matches, the result dents City’s title hopes as the season approaches its climax. Everton, meanwhile, sit 10th in a tightly contested mid-table race for European qualification. Manager David Moyes acknowledged the significance of the dropped points. “It’s going to be tough,” Moyes said. “We’ve lost games late in recent matches, and today we’ve drawn. It could have an impact on where we finish.”