On Monday, the 4th of May, Everton and Manchester City played out a pulsating 3-3 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The result could prove decisive as Arsenal are now firmly in control of the battle for Premier League glory.
Mikel Arteta’s men had stumbled in recent weeks, and Man City went from 7/1 outsiders for the title to odds-on favourites. However, having only just managed to get things under their own control, City dropped two points against Everton to cede the advantage to the Gunners.
The nature of the draw against the Toffees will have left City and their fans with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they failed to win and are now relying on Arsenal slipping up. However, on the other hand, they staged a remarkable comeback and earned a point that seemed beyond them with seven minutes remaining.
City Late Show Spoils Everton Party
Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday gave them a six-point lead at the top of the table. Moreover, the convincing nature of the win restored the confidence of the team and their fans. City knew a trip to Everton would not be an easy one. However, Pep’s men started well and controlled the game from the off.
They pinned Everton back and dominated possession. That said, they struggled to create too much in the way of real chances. The Toffees defended well, blocking shots and making crucial interventions. It looked like the hosts would go in at the break level, but a sumptuous curling effort from Jeremy Doku gave City the lead. It was just City’s second shot on target of the half.
There was a feeling that Everton could not be as bad in the second half, and so it proved. They pressed and harried more aggressively and got the crowd behind them. After 59 minutes, they threatened, but Iliman Ndiaye failed to test the keeper enough with a weak strike.
After 64 minutes, David Moyes replaced the ineffectual Beto with Thierno Barry. He had an almost immediate impact when he flicked the ball on for Ndiaye, but the Senegalese once again did not do enough with his shot when one-on-one with the goalie.
However, just four minutes later, Everton did score, and it was Barry who drew them level. It was a howler from Marc Guehi, but the finish from the oft-criticised Barry was as cool as you like. The Toffees, receiving great support from the stands, were well on top by then, and Ndiaye wriggled through again only to see Guehi intervene.
Home Side Get Nose In Front
The home side were soon cheering a second goal, though, as Jake O’Brien scored from a corner moments later. Everton had turned the game on its head. Just two minutes later, Moyes’ men almost made it three. For the third time, Ndiaye was heading through but shot straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Amazingly, though, as before, the Toffees did not have to wait long for another goal to come. They sent the crowd wild with another goal from Barry. It was a familiar story, with City’s high line and commitment to attack leaving them far too open to Everton counters. Merlin Rohl got in behind, but his shot was poor. However, it fell perfectly to Barry, who was left with a tap-in, Everton’s third goal in 13 minutes!
At 3-1 down, City looked down and out. For all of about five seconds. Virtually straight from kick-off, Mateo Kovacic slid the ball through for Erling Haaland. The striker did what he does best, showing pace, power and a neat finish to make it 3-2. With seven minutes plus stoppage time remaining, could City get another? Could they even get the win?
To a degree, the game returned to the pattern of the first half. City probed, and Everton defended brilliantly. However, in the added time on top of the allotted extra seven minutes, Doku produced another moment of magic. The ball fell to him following a corner, and he moved it quickly before bending a perfect shot into the keeper’s left-hand corner.
It was cruel on Everton, who had far superior xG throughout the game and created the better chances. But what a game! At full-time, both sets of fans were left with mixed emotions, but Arsenal were the winners really, and the title is now in their hands once again.
The Game of the Season?
It was a thrilling clash, in some ways mirroring the title battle, as City veered between periods of control, being almost down and out, and ending with things in the balance. It had great goals, lots of controversy and passion aplenty. But it is far from the first great game we have seen this season.
Manchester United 4-4 Bournemouth
Back in December, Man United lost the lead three times in this thriller. A Premier League classic, with eight different goal scorers, and the hosts coming perilously close to losing their insane (41-year!) record of never losing at Old Trafford, having led at half-time. Six of the goals came in a breathless 39 minutes, with three in six minutes either side of the break.
Fulham 4-5 Manchester City
Man City’s lacklustre defending has resulted in them being involved in several great games, and this may be the best of all. It took place a couple of weeks before the game above in early December 2025. Man City were absolutely cruising at 5-1. However, the home team gave their fans hope by scoring three goals in reply between the 57th and 78th minutes. Sadly, they could not quite pinch a draw in a game that actually saw a mere 3.13 xG. What do the stats people know?!
Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool
This game did not have as many goals as the two above. However, the fact that these two great rivals were battling it out near the top of the table added extra spice to this clash at the start of May. United were 2-0 up after 14 minutes, and it could have been three or four at half-time. Liverpool somehow made it 2-2 by the 56th minute, and for a time, they looked likely to win it and again end United’s 41-year streak of half-time conversions. Local favourite Kobbie Mainoo sent the home fans into raptures, though, and sealed the points for the hosts.
Leeds United 3-3 Liverpool
Liverpool, like City, has been poor at the back. Indeed, they have shipped more goals than the teams currently 16th and 15th in the league. That has often made them fun to watch, even if their attacking football hasn’t always been great. All six goals here came after the 47th minute, the last, a Leeds equaliser in the 96th. The home side were 2-0 and 3-1 down, but Ao Tanaka’s late strike earned them a much-celebrated point.
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