Guardiola Vows to Fight Until Premier League Title Race Concludes

Pep Guardiola has affirmed that Manchester City will continue competing for the Premier League title until it is mathematically out of reach, following their dramatic 3-3 draw against Everton.

City trailed 3-1 at Goodison Park until Jeremy Doku’s stunning 97th-minute strike secured a late equalizer. Doku has contributed to six goals in his last five appearances across all competitions (four goals, two assists), matching his output from his previous 22 games (one goal, five assists). His goal, timed at 96:49, ranks as City’s third-latest Premier League goal on record (since 2006-07), behind John Stones’ 97:14 effort against Arsenal in September 2024 and Gabriel Jesus’ 96:52 strike against Everton in February 2019.

Despite taking the lead through Doku earlier in the match, City have now dropped 12 points from winning positions in the league since January—the joint-most alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. They sit five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have played one more game and are now favorites to claim their first title since 2003-04.

Guardiola praised his team’s performance, particularly in the first half, but acknowledged Everton’s aggressive response after halftime. "Really good performance. We played outstanding in the first half. Really, really good," he told Sky Sports. "In the second half, they stepped up, and we weren’t as aggressive. We conceded, but overall, it was a proper English game—intense and physical. Doku was outstanding, but we couldn’t capitalize as we did earlier. A point is better than losing, and it shows our character."

He added, "The title isn’t in our hands anymore. Before it was; now it’s not. We have games left, and we’ll see what happens."