Man City
City Salvage 3-3 at Everton as Title Race Tightens
City held 3-3 at Everton in a match that keeps the title race alive; Arsenal lead by five points…
Manchester City left Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 3-3 draw against Everton after a sequence of second-half errors and late heroics that intensify the Premier League title race. Pep Guardiola’s side led at half-time but unravelled after the hour mark, then recovered to claim a point that keeps them within five of the league leaders with a game in hand.
The turning point came in the 68th minute when Marc Guéhi played a weak backpass from inside the 18-yard box to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Thierno Barry reacted quickest to score the equaliser. Everton carried that momentum, adding a second and third goal within 12 minutes and prompting frustrated City supporters to begin leaving the stadium. Two minutes after Everton’s breakthrough, Erling Haaland produced a brief moment of brilliance to pull City back into contention, and Jérémy Doku fired into the upper right-hand side of the net in stoppage time to level the score.
City dominated possession and total shots in the opening period but held only a 1-0 lead at the break. Gianluigi Donnarumma made an “absolutely unbelievable save” in the 31st minute to deny Everton, a moment that proved crucial. The match underlined how heavily City have relied on Jérémy Doku late in games; Doku had been decisive again after providing goal contributions in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton, where his goal and assist helped secure a 2-1 win.
The result leaves Arsenal five points clear, following their 3-0 win over Fulham, and hands City a fragile lifeline. With Arsenal steadfast in the title race, City will hope other results can shift the balance as the season progresses.
Player ratings
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6.9: Absolutely unbelievable save in the 31st minute, after Guéhi got torched on the left side. His backline did him no favors in the second half.
RB: Matheus Nunes – 6.7
CB: Abdukodir Khusanov – 6.9
CB: Marc Guéhi – 6.7
LB: Nico O’Reilly – 6.0
DM: Nico González – 6.4
DM: Bernardo Silva – 6.2
RW: Antoine Semenyo – 7.2
AM: Rayan Cherki – 8.0
LW: Jérémy Doku – 9.4
ST: Erling Haaland – 7.5
Subs: Phil Foden (74’ for Semenyo) – 6.2; Mateo Kovačić (75’ for González) – 7.4; Omar Marmoush (87’ for Silva) – N/A
Match statistics
Possession: Man City 75% – Everton 25% | Expected Goals (xG): Man City 1.45 – Everton 2.77 | Total Shots: 21 – 14 | Shots on Target: 4 – 6 | Big Chances: 1 – 3 | Passing Accuracy: 90% – 69% | Fouls Committed: 5 – 15
Arsenal
Arsenal in control after City draw — how the remaining fixtures stack up
Arsenal can clinch the title with three wins; Man City sit five points behind with a game in hand. .
Arsenal enjoyed an almost perfect gameweek as they move within sight of a first Premier League title in more than two decades. Manchester City’s dramatic stumble at Everton, Pep Guardiola’s men scoring a last-gasp equalizer in a 3–3 draw, left the title effectively in Arsenal’s hands.
If Arsenal win their remaining three matches nobody can stop them from ending the long trophy drought. City are now five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand. They remain in the race but are reliant on others doing them favors and, realistically, must win all of their remaining fixtures to have any chance of reclaiming top spot.
Remaining fixtures
Arsenal
– West Ham United (A) – May 10
– Burnley (H) – May 18
– Crystal Palace (A) – May 24
Man City
– Brentford (H) – May 9
– Crystal Palace (H) – May 13
– Bournemouth (A) – May 19
– Aston Villa (H) – May 24
On paper Arsenal are favourites in each of their remaining matches, but the league often produces surprises. The Gunners first travel across the capital to the London Stadium to face relegation-threatened West Ham United. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have been strong on home soil recently and will be fighting for survival, while Arsenal could be affected by fatigue after the Champions League semifinal second leg.
Arsenal’s penultimate fixture at home to already relegated Burnley offers a clear opportunity to bolster goal difference. The managerless Clarets have won just one league match since the beginning of November.
The trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace will be a stern test if the title still hangs in the balance. There is a strong chance Oliver Glasner rests players in his final Premier League match as Palace manager, with the Eagles likely to be playing in the Conference League final three days later.
Manchester City face an extra match to navigate, the rearranged home fixture with Crystal Palace on May 13. The Eagles have sometimes proved tricky opponents for City, such as in last year’s FA Cup final, but Guardiola’s side will still be favourites in their Etihad fixtures.
Arsenal
How Arsenal Could Clinch the Title Sooner After Manchester City’s Slip
Arsenal could be confirmed champions with one more win if City falter in a specific set of fixtures.
Pep Guardiola cut a downcast figure after watching his Manchester City side give up a position of real ascendancy against Everton on Monday night, but he took some encouragement from his side’s capacity to at least scramble a point after trailing 3–1 with less than 10 minutes left to play.
The table shows Arsenal with 35 games played, a +41 goal difference and 76 points. Manchester City have played 34, sit on +37 and have 71 points. That gap leaves a narrow path for Arsenal to be crowned before the traditional final-day showdown.
There is a sequence in which Arsenal would need only one more win. Should City lose to Brentford on Saturday and Arsenal beat West Ham United the following day, Arsenal would be confirmed as champions if City fail to beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday, May 13. That outcome depends on Arsenal defeating West Ham at the London Stadium.
As Thierry Henry fretted on Sky Sports, “Nothing is done.”
“I am going to stay in my lane, I am not going to celebrate too early,” he warned. “I am worried for the West Ham game.”
Most likely the race will stretch to the final day, Sunday, May 24. City’s vulnerability was exposed in the Everton match, but it would be a major surprise if they dropped many more points.
Both title contenders could face opponents with other priorities on that decisive Sunday. Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace, who may be preparing for a Conference League final three days later and hold a 3–1 lead from a semifinal first leg over Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of this week’s home tie.
Aston Villa trail Nottingham Forest by one goal from their Europa League semifinal first leg. If Villa reach the final they would travel to Man City four days on from an appearance in the Europa League final. Villa’s recent performance against Tottenham Hotspur was described as disastrous in the draft and could indicate vulnerability.
Arsenal’s remaining fixtures referenced in the draft include West Ham (A) on May 10, Burnley (H) on May 18 and Bournemouth (A) on May 19. City’s key fixtures are Brentford (H) on May 9 and Crystal Palace (H) on May 13.
Arsenal
FPL Gameweek 35: Priority Picks and Value Options
GW35 FPL essentials: Raya, Darlow, Bruno, Haaland and budget defenders to boost your squad this wk.
With four gameweeks left, Gameweek 35 demands careful moves. Managers still chasing mini-league gains should prioritise reliable returns and inexpensive enablers that free funds for captains in the final stretch.
Goalkeepers: David Raya (£6.0m) remains the standout option among keepers after a 10-point haul last weekend and offers value alongside Arsenal’s defence. Fulham have blanked in four of their last six league games, making a home clean sheet plausible. At the other end of the budget spectrum, Karl Darlow (£3.9m) has accrued 24 points across his last five games and faces relegated Burnley at home, serving as a low-cost enabler. For managers planning ahead to double Gameweek 36, Dean Henderson (£5.1m) is an alternative given Crystal Palace’s two fixtures next round, despite a tricky away match with Bournemouth this Sunday.
Defenders: Gabriel (£7.2m) is a must, while Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m) has become increasingly attractive for managers preparing for City’s double in the next round; he has returned 27 points from his past three fixtures and faces low-scoring Everton away on Monday. Crystal Palace options include Jaydee Canvot (£4.5m) and Chris Richards (£4.4m) as budget routes into their backline, and Daniel Muñoz (£5.8m) offers more attacking upside after scoring in the defeat at Liverpool. Leeds defensive targets such as James Justin (£3.9m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Pascal Struijk (£4.3m) are also useful given a favourable fixture.
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) stands alone as the essential midfield pick; he is chasing the Premier League assist record for a single season and has delivered returns in each of his past seven matches, even ahead of Manchester United’s home game with Liverpool. Other options highlighted are Eberechi Eze (£7.2m), who made an impact after being brought off the bench in Europe, Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) with 23 points across his last three matches, Ismaïla Sarr (£6.3m) ahead of a double, Noah Okafor (£5.6m) despite a slight injury concern, and Enzo Fernández (£6.5m) under Calum McFarlane.
Forwards: Erling Haaland (£14.5m) is essential following recent goalscoring exploits. Support options include Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.7m), who could benefit from Burnley’s struggles after Scott Parker’s dismissal, and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m), who has produced 24 points across his past two home games for West Ham ahead of a trip to Brentford.
