Guardiola frustrated as hopes of City taking Arsenal to wire left in critical condition | Jamie Jackson

Sluggish Manchester City failed to get the win they needed and have left themselves with a lot to do to regain title Bedlam here, utter bedlam – particularly the finish when Jérémy Doku’s 97th-minute right-foot curler grabbed Manchester City a 3-3 draw with Everton. Yet, the bottom line is this: the result places one Arsenal hand on the Premier League trophy, and City no longer control whether the other hand will join it. Continue reading... Analysis Jamie Jackson at Hill Dickinson Stadium Sluggish Manchester City failed to get the win they needed and have left themselves with a lot to do to regain title Bedlam here, utter bedlam – particularly the finish when Jérémy Doku’s 97th-minute right-foot curler grabbed Manchester City a 3-3 draw with Everton. Yet, the bottom line is this: the result places one Arsenal hand on the Premier League trophy, and City no longer control whether the other hand will join it.

At the evening’s start the question was simple: would City refuse to blink, do what they had to, and defeat Everton and keep relentlessly chasing the Gunners? Slip up here and the Catalan’s hopes of ending his (possible) swansong season at City with a seventh championship would be cast as a dream of the pipe variety. If Mikel Arteta’s team beat West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace, on the final day, City could only pass them on goal difference and after Saturday’s 3-0 hammering of Fulham , the Gunners appeared to have sweetly timed a return to form. Yet as the arch-Napoleon of the run-in, Guardiola has endured tightrope finishes in three campaigns, each time piloting City to the crown via final-day victories. In 2018-19, City finished with 98 points, to Liverpool’s 97, a Riyad Mahrez strike and assist sealing a 4-1 comeback triumph at Brighton.

In 2021-22, Jürgen Klopp’s team were again pipped when an 81st-minute Ilkay Gündogan winner dispatched Aston Villa 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium, City ending with 93 points to Liverpool’s 92. Two years later West Ham were the patsies, Phil Foden netting twice in a 3-1 win, Arteta’s side runners-up with 89 points to City’s 91. The bid to pull off a fourth last-gasp championship triumph started here in cold May sunshine and ended in the darkness of a championship challenge left in critical condition. Then, minute 42 was reached, and slick Cherki footwork set up Doku, who shimmied left and stroked past Jordan Pickford. Before this City were sluggish and aimless and required a Guardiola flea in the ear to remind them of the stakes.

Doku, Cherki and Semenyo all flitted about to zero effect – and missed chances – as Everton’s lowest of low blocks stymied and frustrated City in this 376th Premier League game of Guardiola’s trophy-laden decade at the helm. Yet at 1-0 City were heading for the three points. O’Brien’s header from a corner made it 2-1, Barry completed Everton’s scoring, then Haaland chipped home, but City could not yank this game out of the fire – for victory, anyway. Afterwards, Doku tried defiance, saying: “It feels painful. Next up for City is Brentford’s visit on Saturday.

Victory will close the gap to Arsenal, who travel to West Ham on Sunday, to two points: even this may not be enough. Explore more on these topics Share Reuse this content Sluggish Manchester City failed to get the win they needed and have left themselves with a lot to do to regain title Bedlam here, utter bedlam – particularly the finish when Jérémy Doku’s 97th-minute right-foot curler grabbed Manchester City a 3-3 draw with Everton. Yet, the bottom line is this: the result places one Arsenal hand on the Premier League trophy, and City no longer control whether the other hand will join it. Continue reading... Guardiola frustrated as hopes of City taking Arsenal to wire left in critical condition | Jamie Jackson