LIVERPOOL - Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes were dealt a crushing blow on Monday as they dropped precious points at Everton, relying on Jeremy Doku’s strike deep in injury time to salvage a 3-3 draw.
City, with 71 points from 34 games, trail leaders Arsenal by five points but with a game in hand after a chaotic contest that saw Everton fight back after punishing a costly defensive error from City's Marc Guehi.
City now need Arsenal - who have 76 points after 35 games - to stumble in one of their final three games to keep their chances of lifting the trophy alive.
"It's better than losing. (But) it's not in our hands," Guardiola told Sky Sports about the title race. "Before it was, now it's not. We have games left. We will see what happens."
Guardiola's men looked to be heading towards defeat, and City's travelling fans had already streamed toward the exits with their title dreams in tatters when Doku, who also scored City's opener in the 43rd minute, fired into the top corner from the edge of the box in the 97th minute.
The equalizer capped a wild second half that featured a Thierno Barry double and a goal from Jake O'Brien.
ALSO READ: Man City go top and relegate Burnley with narrow Turf Moor win
City had gone into the break in control after Doku bent a beautiful strike into the top corner that keeper Jordan Pickford had little chance of saving.
But Guardiola's men unravelled in the second half. It started when Barry intercepted Guehi's horrific pass back to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to level in the 68th minute.
The offside flag originally went up, but since the ball was not passed to Barry by a teammate, the goal was given.
O'Brien headed home a corner to give Everton the lead in the 73rd minute and Barry completed his double in the 81st after another defensive mistake.
"It's always a pleasure to play against a big team like Manchester City," Barry said. "We had to settle for a draw so we need to keep pushing because there are three games left."
City were not backing down as Erling Haaland pulled one back in the 83rd minute when he broke through the Everton line before lifting the ball over Pickford.
Doku's late-game heroics stretched City's unbeaten streak in the league to 12 games.
Everton are 10th in the jam-packed mid-table fight for European berths next season.
"I think it's going to be tough," Everton boss David Moyes said. "In the last couple of games we've lost games late on and today we've drawn. It could and probably will have an impact on our final position."
