Manchester City had a first-half lead at Everton. They left Merseyside with a point.
What happened in between is the story of a title race that is now in Arsenal’s hands.
Jeremy Doku put City ahead on 43 minutes. At half-time, a familiar City performance looked to be taking shape. Then Everton scored three times between the 68th and 81st minute. Thierno Barry levelled the game on 68 minutes. Jake O’Brien put Everton ahead on 73. Barry scored again on 81 to make it 3-1 to the hosts.
Erling Haaland pulled one back on 83 minutes. Doku equalised in the 97th minute. A remarkable late recovery. But only a point.
The Everton 3-3 Man City scoreline does not flatter either side. City conceded a three-goal lead in 13 minutes of second-half football, then produced a late response that would have felt far more important had they found a fourth. They did not.
The Title Picture
The Premier League table now reads: Arsenal 1st with 76 points from 35 games. Man City 2nd with 71 points from 34 games. Arsenal lead by five. Arsenal have three games left. City have four.
Nine points from three games means Arsenal will clinch the title and will be Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years.
That is the scale of what Monday night delivered.
What Happened Between the 68th and 81st Minute
City had controlled the game. The first half was disciplined. Doku’s goal on 43 was the reward for a clean, professional 45 minutes.
The second half came apart fast. Barry’s 68th-minute strike levelled the game. O’Brien’s 73rd-minute goal was unexpected. Barry’s 81st-minute finish, his second of the night, put Everton 3-1 up. Three goals in 13 minutes from a side sitting 10th in the table.
Everton, on 48 points from 35 games, had nothing to play for in the table. David Moyes’ side played with the freedom of a club that had already secured their mid-table standing. That freedom showed.
Haaland’s 83rd-minute goal and Doku’s 97th-minute equaliser showed the quality still in this City side. But the structural collapse between 68 and 81 minutes is not something Pep Guardiola will be able to explain away. Not with three games left and a five-point deficit.
Looking Ahead
Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg tonight. The title race is secondary this week for Mikel Arteta’s squad, but the maths now strongly favour a first league title since 2004.
For City, the remaining four fixtures represent a chance to finish the season strongly. But unless Arsenal drop points from a position of near-certain success, the title race almost concluded on Monday evening with a draw at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium.
Arsenal’s next three games in the Premier League: West Ham (Away) Burnley (Home), Crystal Palace (Away).
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