Manchester City’s 3-3 draw away to Everton on Monday night significantly improved Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League trophy later this month. City were looking for a win to increase their lead on league leaders, the Gunners, to three points, having played one game less than their title rivals. And Jeremy Doku’s incredible first-half goal put Josep Guardiola’s side into a great position with 23 minutes remaining in the game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
However, Everton completely turned the game around with three goals in 15 minutes, with Tierno Barry’s goal sandwiched in by Jake O’Brien’s header. The comeback began with a horrific error from Marc Guehi, allowing Barry to tap in past Gianluigi Donnarumma and allowing O’Brien, who missed the ball completely in the corner, to put the Toffees in front with a mistake of his own. City fans had already left the stadium and Erling Haaland reacted immediately after Barry’s second goal to pull City back within goal.
And thanks to Doc’s second scream of the night, he equalized in the 97th minute on Merseyside and avoided a sixth league defeat. There was loud booing at the final whistle, with Everton fans furious at the amount of stoppage time. City are five points behind Arsenal with four games remaining, while the Gunners have three games remaining.
The draw means that even if City win all four of their final four games, Arsenal will still be crowned English champions for the first time since 2004 if they win away at West Ham, at home against Burnley and away at Crystal Palace. They will finish with a two point difference over their rivals.
City are aiming to win their seventh title in the last eight years under Guardiola, with speculation mounting that the Catalan manager could leave the club this summer. But they need favor from West Ham, Burnley and Palace and must win all their remaining games.
They host European chasers Brentford at the Etihad next weekend, but a win would only leave them two points clear of the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s pacesetters face West Ham away the next day.
City face Palace on May 13, before facing Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Before that, their final two games in the top league will be away to in-form Bournemouth and at home to fifth-placed Aston Villa.
League ambitions aside, City still have a chance of winning a cup double after defeating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. But despite scoring a last-gasp tying goal, they will be bitterly disappointed with the way the draw was won at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Guardiola made an embarrassing appearance on the touchline and his celebrations after Doc’s late equalizer were relatively quiet.
A win would have lifted Everton into ninth place and increased their chances of qualifying for Europe, but the draw left sixth-placed Bournemouth four points behind David Moyes’ side.
