Pep Guardiola has conceded that Manchester City have surrendered control of the Premier League title race after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday evening left them five points adrift of Arsenal with a game in hand.

City looked to be heading for a damaging defeat when they trailed 3-1 with nine minutes remaining, but Erling Haaland pulled one back almost immediately after Everton's third goal and Jérémy Doku — who had opened the scoring with a superb curled finish in the first half — produced a near-identical effort in stoppage time to snatch a point. It was, in every sense, a remarkable rescue act. It was also, in terms of the title picture, not nearly enough.

Arsenal in the driving seat

The arithmetic is stark. Arsenal need maximum points from their final three matches to be crowned champions for the first time since 2004, and City's slip at Goodison's successor hands Mikel Arteta's side that precise opportunity. City still carry a game in hand, but the noises out of Guardiola's post-match comments made clear he understands just how slim the margin now is.

"It was in our hands and in Arsenal's hands, and now it is not in our hands," the City manager said. "But we have Brentford on Saturday and we continue and we'll see what happens."

He was generous in his praise of his players' refusal to fold, insisting that the emotional drive required to come back from 3-1 down is not a weakness. "If you give up, you cannot do what we have done tonight," he said. "Without that emotion you cannot come back."

A tale of two halves

City were the better side before the interval, going in a goal to the good through Doku's opener, and Guardiola felt his team had the composure the occasion demanded. The second half, however, was a different story. Everton, under David Moyes, made a decisive step up and City — by Guardiola's own admission — did not match the intensity they had shown earlier. Two quick Everton goals flipped the match on its head and put Moyes's side on the verge of a result that would have been genuinely significant in their own push for European football.

Guardiola declined to be drawn on whether Everton defender Michael Keane should have been dismissed for a foul on Doku during the second half, keeping his frustrations largely in check in public.

Moyes, for his part, was satisfied with his team's second-half showing but bitterly disappointed by the late equaliser and its implications for Everton's European ambitions. He also voiced strong displeasure at the decision not to award his side a penalty after a VAR review of an incident involving Bernardo Silva and Merlin Röhl.

"If that doesn't get given as a penalty then it is an absolute free-for-all," Moyes said. "It looks like you are able to grab and wrestle now."

What happens next

City turn their attention to Brentford on Saturday, a fixture Guardiola identified as the immediate priority. Win that, win their game in hand, and the pressure shifts back to Arsenal — though the Gunners will know that their destiny remains firmly in their own hands right now. The market has already adjusted accordingly, with Arsenal strong favourites to end their 22-year wait for the title.

For City, the character shown in coming back from two goals down will count for something in the dressing room. Whether it counts for enough over the remaining fixtures is the question that will define this season.

Frequently asked

How many points behind Arsenal are Manchester City?
Manchester City are five points behind Arsenal, though they do have a game in hand following the 3-3 draw at Everton.
What do Arsenal need to win the Premier League title?
Arsenal need to win their remaining three matches to secure the Premier League title for the first time since 2004.
Who scored for Manchester City against Everton?
Jérémy Doku scored twice — including a late equaliser in stoppage time — and Erling Haaland also got on the scoresheet in the 3-3 draw.