The night may well be remembered as the moment Manchester City's Premier League title defence fell apart. A stunning second-half collapse at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday evening saw Pep Guardiola's side squander a lead against Everton, drawing 3-3 in a result that has tilted the title race firmly in Arsenal's favour.

From control to chaos in thirteen minutes

For much of the evening, City looked to be executing their gameplan without alarm. Jérémy Doku curled in a sublime opener on the cusp of half-time — a finish worthy of settling any game — and the visitors appeared on course to close the gap at the top from six points to three. The noises out of the City end were confident. The job, it seemed, was half done.

Then came the second half, and thirteen extraordinary minutes that may yet define the entire season.

City centre-back Marc Guéhi's loose pass back to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was intercepted by Everton substitute Thierno Barry, who was awarded the goal after a VAR check. It was an error that felt out of character for a side so meticulously organised under Guardiola — and all the more damaging given it was City's second such mistake in just three games, having made only three errors leading to goals across their first 31 matches of the campaign.

Before City could recover their composure, Jake O'Brien rose to head home from a James Garner corner, and then Merlin Röhl teed up Barry to complete the turnaround and put Everton 3-1 ahead. Three goals conceded in thirteen minutes. The thousand-yard stares of Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki as the Goodison faithful celebrated told the full story.

Doku's stoppage-time strike salvaged a point, but in the context of a title race this tight, a draw feels very much like a defeat.

Arsenal now control their own destiny

Arsenal's emphatic win over Fulham at the weekend had already left City knowing that anything less than victory on Merseyside would hand the Gunners control of the race. City duly obliged. Opta now gives Arsenal an 85.2% chance of ending their 22-year wait for the title — a number that will send a shiver through Manchester and a surge of cautious optimism through north London.

Guardiola himself acknowledged after the full-time whistle that the title is no longer in his side's hands. For a manager who has delivered so much silverware at this club, that is a rare and uncomfortable admission.

A pattern that cannot be ignored

What makes this result particularly alarming for City supporters is the broader context. Since the turn of the year, City have dropped twelve points from winning positions in the Premier League — a tally that puts them level with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United for the most among all top-flight sides in that period. This is not a one-off aberration; it is a pattern.

Guardiola's side have also now conceded three goals in a single half for only the second time this season, and they have done so at precisely the worst possible moment.

  • Doku opened the scoring with a curling finish just before half-time
  • Guéhi's misplaced back-pass led to Barry's equaliser after the break
  • O'Brien headed home from a Garner corner to put Everton ahead
  • Barry completed the comeback after being set up by Röhl
  • Doku struck again in stoppage time to earn a point that may count for very little

With just a few weeks of the season remaining, the mood inside the City camp will be one of damage limitation. Arsenal, meanwhile, now need only to keep their nerve to bring the title back to the Emirates for the first time since 2004. The ball, as they say, is firmly in the Gunners' court.

Frequently asked

What was the score in the Man City vs Everton game?
Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday, with Jérémy Doku scoring twice for City and Thierno Barry netting a brace for the hosts.
Do Arsenal now control the Premier League title race?
Yes. Following City's draw, Opta gives Arsenal an 85.2% chance of winning the Premier League title, and Guardiola himself has admitted the title is out of City's hands.
Who made the mistake for Man City's first goal conceded against Everton?
Centre-back Marc Guéhi played a loose back-pass that was intercepted by Everton substitute Thierno Barry, whose goal was confirmed by VAR.