Gunners seize initiative in championship battle following Manchester City's stalemate with Everton

A dramatic stoppage-time goal from Jeremy Doku secured a 3-3 draw for Manchester City at Everton, yet the outcome has handed the initiative in the Premier League title race back to Arsenal, who now require just three consecutive victories to claim the championship after a 22-year wait.

n

With five points separating them from Mikel Arteta's team and a game in hand, City face an uphill struggle to recover from their second-half collapse at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, which has severely dented their title aspirations.

n

Pep Guardiola's side had initially appeared to be cruising towards a comfortable win, with Doku opening the scoring at the end of a dominant first half, during which they had penned Everton back inside their own box for nearly the entire 45 minutes.

n

However, a series of errors in the second period allowed Thierno Barry to score twice for the Toffees, with Jake O'Brien also finding the net with a header, as City's defense crumbled under pressure.

n

Erling Haaland reduced the deficit for City, and Doku's sensational effort in the 96th minute ultimately salvaged a point, although it may prove insufficient to keep City in the title race.

n

Arsenal, meanwhile, will look to take advantage of City's slip-up, starting with their visit to relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday, followed by matches against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

n

City had gone nearly two weeks without a proper outing, following Guardiola's decision to heavily rotate his squad for the FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton, but they initially showed no signs of rustiness as they dominated the first half.

n

Rayan Cherki's pass had set up Doku's opener, a curled shot into Jordan Pickford's top right-hand corner, which came two minutes before half-time and was the culmination of City's relentless pressure.

n

Michael Keane had earlier escaped with a yellow card for a wild lunge on Doku, a decision that would prove significant as City's defense was eventually breached, despite Everton's initial struggles to cope with the visitors' attacking threat.

n

Gianluigi Donnarumma had twice denied Iliman Ndiaye, but City's failure to heed the warning signs ultimately proved costly, as Marc Guehi's underhit passback allowed Barry to equalize, and further mistakes led to Everton's second and third goals.

n

Barry's third goal had seemingly put the game out of City's reach, but Haaland's quick response gave them a lifeline, and Doku's late strike ultimately secured a draw, although it may have come too late to salvage City's title hopes.