Man City title collapse at Everton as Guehi error sparks costly slip in Premier League race

Man City stumble at Everton after defensive collapse leaves title race swinging Arsenal’s way

For long stretches, it looked like another routine afternoon for Manchester City. Control, patience, pressure, the usual pattern under Pep Guardiola. Then, in the space of little more than ten chaotic minutes, it unravelled in a way you rarely associate with this team.

City recovered late on to salvage a draw against Everton, but the damage may already be done. In a title race that demands near-perfection, this felt like a slip that could linger.

From cruise control to chaos

The early signs were familiar. Everton sat deep, compact, inviting City to break them down. It’s a tactic many have tried before, often with limited success, and for much of the first half it played right into City’s hands.

With a settled attacking line of Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki now starting together regularly, City moved the ball with confidence. There’s a growing rhythm to their play, less rotation than usual, more continuity.

Eventually, the breakthrough arrived. Doku, drifting inside onto his stronger foot, curled a fine effort into the top corner. It had been coming.

Everton had spent most of the half absorbing pressure, and City looked well on their way.

At that point, it felt like a matter of how many, not if.

The moment everything changed

Football doesn’t always follow the script, though.

The turning point came in a way that was almost hard to process in real time. Marc Guehi, brought in to steady things at the back in recent months, misjudged a simple situation.

His attempted back pass lacked both pace and conviction, inviting danger rather than removing it.

Thierno Barry didn’t need a second invitation. He collected the ball with ease and finished past Gianluigi Donnarumma to level things up.

It was one of those moments that shifts not just the scoreline, but the entire feel of a match.

Errors piling up

Once the door opened, Everton didn’t hesitate.

City suddenly looked uncertain, even rushed. A side known for composure started making decisions that didn’t quite add up. A loose touch here, a delayed pass there and small details that quickly snowballed.

Abdukodir Khusanov was caught in possession, leading to a corner that Everton converted through Jake O’Brien. Not long after, more confusion at the back allowed Merlin Rohl to get in behind, with the loose ball eventually falling kindly for Barry to grab another.

From cruising at 1-0, City found themselves staring at a 3-1 defeat.

It was as surprising as it was self-inflicted.

A late push but not quite enough

To their credit, City didn’t fold completely.

Mateo Kovacic, introduced off the bench, made an immediate impact, albeit not without a slightly awkward start.

His first involvement didn’t go to plan, but he quickly made amends with a clever pass that split Everton open and sent Haaland through on goal.

The Norwegian finished with composure, lifting the ball over Jordan Pickford to pull one back.

That goal shifted the mood again. Suddenly, there was belief.

Deep into stoppage time, Doku produced another moment of quality, this time cutting inside onto his right foot and finding the net with a superb strike. From nowhere, City had dragged themselves level.

It was a remarkable turnaround within a game that had already flipped once before.

What this actually means for the title race

A point might prove valuable in isolation, but in the context of the title race, it feels like a missed opportunity.

City no longer control their own destiny. Arsenal, watching on with interest, now hold the advantage. Win their remaining fixtures, and the title is theirs simple as that.

Given the way City lost control here, even briefly, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that this could be the moment the balance shifted.

That said, football rarely sticks to tidy narratives. There’s still time, still games to play, still pressure to come.

But City will know this much: performances like this leave very little margin for error.