Manchester City avoided a damaging loss in the Premier League title race, drawing 3-3 with Everton after trailing 3-1, as Jeremy Doku struck in stoppage time at Hill Dickinson Stadium to earn a point that keeps Arsenal five points clear at the top.
The draw leaves City still chasing in the Premier League standings, with Arsenal ahead despite having played one extra match, and Pep Guardiola’s side now knowing that a perfect run, combined with an Arsenal slip, is required if the title is to stay in Manchester.
Everton appeared set for a major Premier League upset when substitute Thierno Barry’s second goal gave the hosts a 3-1 advantage, yet defensive lapses allowed Erling Haaland to pull one back from the restart before Doku’s late leveller, which
arrived deep into added time.
The decisive moment came at 96:49, when Doku guided in a curling effort, giving City their third-latest Premier League goal on record, behind John Stones’ 97:14 strike against Arsenal in September 2024 and Gabriel Jesus’ 96:52 winner against Everton in February 2019.
City had earlier taken control of the contest, dictating the first half as Gianluigi Donnarumma made a sharp save from a dangerous Merlin Rohl cross, but the visitors eventually turned pressure into reward on 43 minutes when Doku bent a precise shot inside the far corner.
The game completely changed after the break during a frantic 13-minute spell, as Everton punished City’s errors; Iliman Ndiaye first missed a clear chance, but Barry soon seized on a poor back-pass by Marc Guehi to make it 1-1, igniting belief among the home support.
Everton then moved ahead when Jake O'Brien rose to head in from a set-piece, and Sean Dyche’s team looked in full control at 3-1 once Barry casually converted from Rohl’s mishit attempt, before City’s instant reply through Haaland exposed slack marking inside the penalty area.
There was further controversy when Everton appealed strongly for a penalty, claiming Bernardo Silva had grabbed Rohl during a corner; the protests grew after no spot-kick was awarded, and those frustrations increased again when Doku equalised in stoppage time to deny a home victory.
City’s late recovery also carried historical weight, as Guardiola’s side avoided defeat in a Premier League match despite trailing by at least two goals as late as the 82nd minute for the first time since a 3-3 draw against Sunderland in March 2012.
However, City’s vulnerability with leads is becoming a pattern, with the defending champions having dropped 12 points from winning positions in the Premier League since the start of the calendar year, a figure matched only by Tottenham and Newcastle United over the same spell.
Doku and Barry shaped the narrative throughout; Barry joined Anthony Martial, who did so in October 2022, and Samuel Chukwueze, who followed in December 2025, as just the third substitute to score twice in a Premier League game against a Guardiola City side, while Doku has now contributed to six goals in his last five matches in all competitions, matching the total from his previous 22 appearances.
| Team / Player | Key Premier League statistic |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | Third-latest Premier League goal on record at 96:49 through Jeremy Doku |
| Manchester City | First time since March 2012 avoiding defeat after trailing by 2+ goals after 82 minutes |
| Manchester City | Joint-most points dropped from winning positions in 2026 Premier League, with 12 |
| Tottenham, Newcastle United | Also on 12 Premier League points dropped from winning positions in 2026 |
| Thierno Barry | Third substitute with a Premier League brace versus Guardiola’s City |
| Jeremy Doku | Six direct goal involvements across last five matches in all competitions |
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝟑-𝟑 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 Two points dropped for City, but it could have been worse as they recovered from 3-1 down to earn a late draw. Arsenal now lead the Premier League by five points having played a game more.#EVEMCI pic.twitter.com/8la6zTakXeOpta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 4, 2026
The result leaves Arsenal with a five-point Premier League cushion, though City still hold a match in hand, and while Doku’s late intervention kept Guardiola’s team within reach of the leaders, Everton’s performance, Barry’s impact and the disputed penalty incident will continue to be debated.
