LIVERPOOL — Arsenal have been handed a major boost in the Premier League title race after Manchester City were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Everton in a chaotic encounter at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.
Manchester City surrendered a commanding position after a second-half collapse, allowing Arsenal to tighten their grip on the title race. The Gunners now need just three wins from their remaining fixtures to secure a first league crown in 22 years.
City initially looked in control after Jeremy Doku opened the scoring late in the first half, finishing clinically after sustained pressure from Pep Guardiola’s side. However, the game swung dramatically after the break.
Everton responded through Thierno Barry, who struck twice in a spirited display, either side of Jake O’Brien’s header, as defensive errors from City were ruthlessly punished. Barry’s second goal came after a costly mistake at the back left City exposed.
Erling Haaland briefly reignited City’s hopes with a quick response, before Doku’s stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a point in a frantic finish that kept City’s title hopes mathematically alive.
Despite the late rescue, the result leaves Guardiola’s side five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, but momentum now firmly appears to be with Mikel Arteta’s team.
Arsenal’s recent run of victories has intensified pressure on City, with the Gunners set to face West Ham, Burnley, and Crystal Palace in their final three matches.
Everton, meanwhile, will take confidence from a spirited performance that saw them overturn a first-half deficit and expose lapses in City’s defensive structure.
The draw is likely to be viewed as a turning point in the title race, with City’s dominance in recent seasons now under serious threat as the campaign enters its final stretch.
