LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom (AFP) — In a chaotic, title-shifting Premier League clash at Goodison Park (Hill Dickinson Stadium) on Monday, Jeremy Doku’s 97th-minute thunderbolt snatched a 3-3 draw for reigning champions Manchester City against Everton — but a catastrophic second-half defensive collapse has put the fight for the English crown firmly back in Arsenal’s hands.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, who currently sit atop the league table, now hold all the cards in their quest to end a 20-year trophy drought: three wins from their remaining three fixtures will secure them the first Premier League title of their 21st-century history. Manchester City, the serial title winners hunting a seventh championship in nine seasons, sit five points back with one game in hand, but their messy implosion on Merseyside has left their hopes of retaining the crown hanging by a thread.
Pep Guardiola’s side looked set to cruise to three crucial points after a dominant first half, where they pinned Everton deep inside their own half for nearly 45 minutes. The breakthrough finally came two minutes before the break, when Rayan Cherki threaded through Doku, who curled a clinical finish into the top right corner past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The hosts survived a major moment of danger before halftime too: defender Michael Keane escaped a red card for a reckless, sliding tackle on Doku, receiving only a yellow card — a call that would prove pivotal by the final whistle.
The second half, however, quickly descended into chaos for City, as a string of uncharacteristic basic defensive mistakes handed Everton all three goals. First, a slack, underhit backpass from Marc Guehi left striker Thierno Barry one-on-one with City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Barry slotted home to equalize. Minutes later, another turnovers: Abdukodir Khusanov was caught in possession by Iliman Ndiaye, and while Guehi made a last-ditch block to stop the immediate chance, the resulting corner saw Jake O’Brien rise unmarked to head Everton into the lead. A rapid Everton counter-attack soon extended the home side’s advantage, with Barry poking home his second from a deflected cross to make it 3-1, leaving City stunned.
But Guardiola’s side refused to fold completely. Straight from the restart, Mateo Kovacic played a through ball to Erling Haaland, who finished clinically to cut Everton’s lead to 3-2. Then, in stoppage time deep into the seventh minute of added time, Doku produced a moment of individual magic to fire home a sensational equalizer, salvaging a point for the visitors and dashing Everton’s hopes of claiming a pivotal win for their own European aspirations.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola acknowledged that the title race is no longer in City’s control. “It’s better than losing, It shows what type of team they are,” he said of his side’s late fightback. “It’s not in our hands. Before it was, now it’s not. We have games left. We will see what happens.”
Arsenal, who have picked up two wins since City’s last league outing, have now built a comfortable buffer at the top of the table. Their remaining fixtures start with a trip to relegation-battling West Ham United this Sunday, followed by a home clash against already-relegated Burnley and a final-day away game against Crystal Palace.
City entered the match under extra pressure after a two-week gap between their regular league outings, caused by Guardiola rotating his entire first team for last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton. Many expected the side to look rusty after the extended break, but they started sharp, controlling possession and pinning Everton back for the entire first half. That control dissolved completely after the break, however, with individual errors handing the hosts three goals and turning a certain win into a scrappy draw that benefits only Arsenal in the title race. While the point keeps City mathematically in the hunt, it is Arsenal that now hold every advantage in the run-in to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.