Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that the club no longer controls its own fate in the Premier League title race following a 3-3 draw with Everton. The result leaves City five points behind league leaders Arsenal, with Arsenal holding a game in hand.
Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes affected by Everton draw
Manchester City faced a challenging match at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, where they were initially leading at half-time but found themselves trailing 3-1 by the 81st minute. Despite the setback, City showed resilience as Erling Haaland scored immediately after Everton’s third goal, reducing the deficit. Later, Jérémy Doku, who had opened the scoring for Everton with a well-placed curled finish, scored a similar goal in the final moments to secure a draw for City.
Guardiola praised his team’s refusal to accept defeat, emphasizing the importance of their comeback. However, he admitted that the draw means the Premier League title is no longer fully in Manchester City’s hands. Arsenal can clinch the league by winning their remaining three matches, a scenario that City must now hope to avoid.
Guardiola’s reflections on the match and title race
Reflecting on the game, Guardiola said, “The point is better than no points, but it would have been better to win the game.” He noted the difficulty posed by Everton’s aggressive style of play, which increased in intensity during the second half. Guardiola highlighted the quality of City’s second and third goals but acknowledged that the match’s outcome was disappointing given the stakes.
He also addressed the emotional aspect of the comeback, stating, “We knew we had to win the game with how many games we had left, but without that emotion you cannot come back. If you give up, you cannot do what we have done tonight.” Guardiola declined to comment on whether Everton defender Michael Keane should have been sent off for a foul on Doku during the match.
Everton’s perspective and controversial decisions
Everton manager David Moyes expressed satisfaction with his team’s improved second-half performance but lamented the impact of City’s late equalizer on Everton’s chances of qualifying for European competition. Moyes was critical of a video assistant referee (VAR) decision that did not award a penalty against Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva for a foul on Merlin Röhl, describing it as a “terrible decision” and warning that it could lead to more physical play being allowed in matches.