Manchester City's dramatic draw with Everton gave Arsenal a clear advantage in the English Premier League title race, while Chelsea's loss to Nottingham Forest deepened its crisis and weakened its European chances.
Published on: 05/05/2026 - 00:13 Last updated: 05/05/2026 - 08:14
Manchester City snatched a dramatic 3-3 draw from Everton Stadium in the 35th round of the English Premier League, avoiding a loss that was within reach for the hosts, but in return, it gave Arsenal a clear advantage in the title race.
Coach Mikel Arteta's team now needs to win its last three matches to win its first title in 22 years.
City opened the scoring through Belgian Jeremy Doku before the end of the first half, but Everton turned the tables in the second half with goals from Frenchman Tierino Barry and Irishman Jake O'Brien, before Pep Guardiola's men came back in the final minutes with a brace from Norwegian Erling Haaland and Doku in stoppage time, so the team competing for the title would score a single point.
With a postponed match remaining for City, the gap remains at five points in favor of Arsenal, which is now in control of its fate.
City suffered a series of defensive errors in the second half, which allowed Everton to repeatedly threaten its goal, before this pressure was translated into three consecutive goals, in a confrontation characterized by high pace and excitement until the final moments.
Guardiola commented to Sky Sports, saying: “We take this point, and as long as the matter is not resolved yet, we will continue to fight.”
Read also: Football: Inter Milan crowned champion of the Italian League for the 21st time in its history
Chelsea's crisis deepens
The same round witnessed a new blow to Chelsea's European ambitions, after they lost at home to Nottingham Forest 3-1.
Nigerian Taiwo Awonyi celebrated his 100th match with Forest by scoring two goals, while Brazilian Igor Jesus added a goal from a penalty kick, while Chelsea settled for a late goal through Joao Pedro.
The Blues' hopes of reaching the Champions League declined as the gap widened to ten points over the qualifying positions, leaving them in ninth place, while Nottingham took an important step towards survival.
Chelsea's interim coach, Callum MacFarlane, spoke of a "very disappointing result and performance," noting that the poor start in the first quarter-hour "defined the tone of the match" and highlighted a major discrepancy compared to the defensive performance in the previous match.
France 24/AFP
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