Everton vs Man City: Guardiola makes big title admission after handing Arsenal huge advantage

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has conceded that the Premier League title race is out of his team's control following a chaotic 3-3 draw against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium

After his side dropped two critical points, the Spanish tactician bluntly stated regarding their championship destiny: "It's not in our hands. Before it was in our hands. Now, no." 

The devastating slip-up leaves City trailing current league leaders Arsenal by five points, albeit with a crucial game in hand. 

Consequently, Mikel Arteta’s squad now hold the definitive advantage; if the North London club secures maximum points from their three remaining league fixtures, they will mathematically guarantee their first top-flight championship since their legendary 2003/04 Premier League campaign.

The dramatic fixture saw Manchester City completely squander a commanding position after producing what Guardiola proudly described as an "outstanding" first-half performance, taking a 1-0 lead into the break courtesy of a 43rd-minute strike from Jérémy Doku. 

However, Manchester City suffered an inexplicable collapse following the interval. Analysing the shift, Guardiola explained that Everton "made a step up" in the second half, aggressively turning the contest into a "proper English game" full of intense duels, which caused his team to lose their composure and control. 

This resulted in City conceding three goals in a staggering 13-minute window, with Everton's Thierno Barry netting a rapid brace in the 68th and 81st minutes, either side of a Jake O'Brien header in the 73rd minute. 

Although the Mancunians demonstrated resilience to salvage a point, with Erling Haaland scoring in the 83rd minute straight from the restart and Doku curling in a stunning 97th-minute equaliser, the damage to their title defence had already been inflicted during that disastrous second-half spell.