Last-Minute Goal Yet Arrears Hand Premier League Title Back to Arsenal
Jeremy Doku’s dramatic stoppage-time goal allowed Manchester City to secure a 3-3 draw against Everton, yet a second-half collapse has effectively returned the Premier League title chase to Arsenal’s control. The Gunners now need to win their remaining three matches to clinch their first league title in 22 years.
Currently, City trails Mikel Arteta’s squad by five points but possesses a game in hand. However, the aftermath of their recent performance at Hill Dickinson Stadium raises doubts about their ability to recover and claim the championship.
Josep Guardiola’s team appeared set for victory at the end of a dominant first half, particularly after Doku opened the scoring. However, a series of costly mistakes in the second half allowed Everton to capitalize, with Tierno Barry netting two goals sandwiching a header from Jake O’Brien.
City managed to stay in contention thanks to a stunning strike from Erling Haaland, and Doku’s late goal in the 96th minute seemed crucial, keeping their hopes alive in the title race. Meanwhile, Arsenal is set to face relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday, followed by matches against Burnley and Crystal Palace as the season nears its conclusion.
Arsenal has capitalized on City’s recent inactivity in the league, having won two matches since City’s last game, thereby intensifying the pressure on Guardiola’s side. With the first team largely stagnant for nearly two weeks due to frequent rotations in their recent FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton, City’s players appeared to lack match sharpness.
In the first half, Everton struggled to break free from their defensive zone, which made City look dominant yet unchallenged. Two minutes prior to halftime, City’s relentless pressure paid off when Rayan Cherki set up Doku, who curled a precise shot into the top right corner, beating Jordan Pickford.
Things could have taken a turn for the worse for the Toffees just before the break when Michael Keane narrowly avoided a red card for a reckless challenge on Doku. This decision proved pivotal as City later fell victim to a series of defensive blunders. Twice, they ignored warning signs of impending danger, allowing Iliman Ndiaye’s shot to rebound dangerously into their area.
The equalizer finally came after Marc Gehi’s under-hit back pass gifted Barry an opportunity, who made no mistake edging past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Moments later, a loss of possession by Abdukkodir Kusanov almost cost them dearly, but Guehi’s challenge mitigated the threat, albeit leading to O’Brien’s goal from a corner.
As another quick counter-attack left City disorganized, Barry scored Everton’s third from a deflected cross by Roll. Yet, City managed to respond promptly, with Mateo Kovacic finding Haaland to pull one back. In a thrilling finish, Doku dashed Everton’s hopes for European football next season with his last-minute strike. Despite this moment of resurgence, it may prove insufficient to secure City’s aspirations of a seventh title in nine years.
