Pep Guardiola has admitted the Premier League title is no longer in Manchester City's hands following a breathless 3-3 draw at Goodison Park on Sunday evening that hands Arsenal a commanding advantage in the race for the title.

City arrived on Merseyside knowing a win would keep the pressure firmly on Arsenal. They leave with a single point, five adrift of the Gunners, though they do hold a game in hand. Four matches remain.

"It depends. It is not in our hands," Guardiola said bluntly after the final whistle. "Before that game it was, and Arsenal's as well. But now, in our hands, no."

How it unravelled

City had looked very much in control at the break. Jeremy Doku opened the scoring and Guardiola described the opening 45 minutes as "outstanding", his side dominant against an Everton side he acknowledged were difficult to handle physically.

The second half, though, told an entirely different story. Everton substitute Thierno Barry turned the game on its head, netting twice either side of a Jake O'Brien header to put the home side 3-1 up inside a chaotic 14-minute spell. Barry's first arrival on the scoresheet was aided by a dreadful back pass from City defender Marc Guehi, a moment that sparked Everton's remarkable turnaround.

City, to their credit, refused to fold. Erling Haaland pulled one back to make it 3-2, and then, deep into stoppage time, Doku produced a superb curling finish to rescue a point. It was the kind of late drama that keeps managers awake at night — though in this case it will feel closer to relief than joy for Guardiola.

"It is better than losing," the City boss acknowledged. "But of course it is better to win and we played for that. It just shows what the team are."

What City need now

The arithmetic is straightforward if uncomfortable for the blue half of Manchester. City must win their remaining fixtures and hope Arsenal slip up. Next up is a home tie against Brentford on Saturday — a seventh-placed side still chasing European football — before Arsenal travel across London to face West Ham.

Guardiola was under no illusions about the challenge ahead. "We have four games in the Premier League, next is Brentford, and it will be quite similar, because the competitors are good," he said. "Of course we go into those games with belief, like we came here."

Moyes reflects on a point that felt like two dropped

Everton manager David Moyes was candid in his own assessment. He admitted his side were "hugely outplayed" in the first half and that he would have accepted a draw at the interval. Yet with the score at 3-1, he believed his side had every right to be targeting all three points.

"When you're 3-1 up you think you're in with a great chance of winning," Moyes said. "Getting a point against City is not a bad result, but we didn't do it."

He was also critical of his defence for the second Haaland goal, pointing to poor defensive shape as the key moment that opened the door for City's comeback.

The title picture

Arsenal hold the advantage with a five-point cushion and the knowledge that City must keep winning while the Gunners themselves remain in good health — with Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz reported fit for the run-in. The noises out of both camps suggest this will go to the final day, but the momentum, for now, sits squarely with Arsenal.

City's campaign is not over. A game in hand means the mathematics remain alive. But as Guardiola himself conceded, it is no longer theirs to control.

Frequently asked

How many points behind Arsenal are Manchester City?
Manchester City are five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table, though they have a game in hand with four matches remaining.
Who scored for Man City against Everton?
Jeremy Doku scored twice for Manchester City, including a stoppage-time equaliser, while Erling Haaland also got on the scoresheet during the 3-3 draw.
When do Man City play next in the Premier League?
Manchester City's next Premier League fixture is at home against Brentford on Saturday.