Jeremy Doku’s stoppage-time strike salvaged Manchester City a 3-3 draw at Everton, but a second half collapse handed the destiny of the Premier League title back to Arsenal on Monday.
The Gunners now just need to win their final three games to end a 22-year wait to become the champions of England.
City remain five points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s team, with a game in hand, and will struggle to recover from the manner of their implosion at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side appeared to be cruising to victory when Doku opened the scoring at the end of a dominant first half.
However, an error-strewn second period was punished as Thierno Barry scored twice for the Toffees, either side of Jake O’Brien’s header.
Erling Haaland and then a sensational effort from Doku in the 97th minute did however rescue a point which could ultimately keep City in the race.
“It’s better than losing, It shows what type of team they are,” said Guardiola on City’s fightback.
“It’s not in our hands. Before it was, now it’s not. We have games left. We will see what happens.”
Watch the Man City vs Everton highlights in the video above
Arsenal visit relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday before hosting Burnley and visiting Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.
Two Arsenal victories since City last played in the league had ramped up the pressure on Guardiola’s side.
City’s first team had gone the best part of two weeks without a proper outing after Guardiola heavily rotated for last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton.
The visitors looked fresh rather than rusty as Everton were penned back inside their own box for practically the entire first half.
City’s pressure finally found its reward two minutes before half-time when Rayan Cherki found Doku, who curled a shot into Jordan Pickford’s top right-hand corner.
Things could have been even worse for the Toffees before the break as Michael Keane escaped with just a yellow card for a wild lunge on Doku.
That decision proved to be vital as City paid a heavy price for a serious of basic defensive errors.
Twice Guardiola’s men did not heed a warning that an Everton equaliser was coming.
Gianluigi Donnarumma parried Iliman Ndiaye’s effort back into the danger area but Merlin Rohl was not alive to the rebound.
Ndiaye then had a glorious chance after an error from Matheus Nunes but again could not beat the giant Italian in the City goal.
When the equaliser finally arrived, City were again architects of their own downfall.
Marc Guehi’s underhit passback handed Barry the simple task of slotting past the stranded Donnarumma.
Another casual City mistake moments later led to Everton’s second. This time Abdukodir Khusanov was caught in possession by Ndiaye and bailed out by a last-ditch challenge from Guehi.
But from the resulting corner, O’Brien rose highest to power home a header. Barry prodded home a third for Everton from Rohl’sdeflected cross with City all at sea from a rapid counter-attack.
Diehard Manchester City fans including Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher were on tenterhooks at Everton’s Hill Dickson Stadium.
The expression on the face of Man City supporters said it all and several supporters left their seats to leave the stadium when City went 3-1 down in the 81st minute.
But within seconds they had a lifeline though, as straight from kick-off Mateo Kovacic played in Haaland to halve the arrears.
City fans were then spotted returning to their seats when they realised they were still alive in the game.
Doku delivered a dagger to Everton’s hopes of European football next season right at the death with an equaliser for City in the 97th minute.
But it may have come too little, too late to rescue City’s chances of a seventh title in nine years.
