Man City bite into hard Toffee – Everton had the win, Doku gives Cityzens new life

North London celebrates! Everton have done Mikel Arteta’s side a huge favour tonight by drawing 3–3 at home with Manchester City in a crazy match. The hosts had a two-goal lead and were on course for victory until the very last second, but Jeremy Doku was the one who kept Manchester City alive in the title race. There is still a lot to come.

Manchester City gradually took control of a lively first half against Everton, but it took them until the closing stages to finally turn their dominance into a goal.

The first notable attempt came in the 7th minute, when Rayan Cherki tried his luck from around 20 meters out. However, the effort lacked precision and flew well over the bar, setting the tone for a cautious opening.

City began to grow into the game, and in the 16th minute they came close to carving out a golden opportunity. O’Reilly delivered a dangerous ball into the box, looking to find Erling Haaland just five meters from goal, but the Norwegian arrived a fraction too late and couldn’t make contact.

Just two minutes later, the visitors ramped up the pressure. O’Reilly again found himself involved, breaking into the box before Keane produced a crucial sliding block to concede a corner. From the resulting set-piece, City kept the attack alive, with Semenyo showcasing brilliant footwork to reach the by-line, but his low ball across the six-yard area went untouched.

City continued to threaten, and in the 21st minute Jeremy Doku dazzled down the left flank before switching play to Semenyo. The winger had space at the edge of the area but leaned back at the crucial moment, sending his shot high into the stands.

Everton responded in the 25th minute with a promising chance of their own. A mistake from Nico Gonzalez gifted possession to Dewsbury-Hall, whose shot looked dangerous before Khusanov reacted superbly to block and deny a clear opportunity.

The home side came even closer in the 32nd minute. A dangerous cross from the right found Beto in the middle, but Gianluigi Donnarumma made a huge save to prevent the opener. The rebound fell kindly for the striker, yet once again Khusanov was in the right place at the right time, producing a brave block with his chest to keep the scores level.

Despite Everton’s resilience, Manchester City finally made the breakthrough in the 43rd minute. After a prolonged spell of possession and multiple attempts to break through the defensive line, Doku took matters into his own hands, striking from the edge of the box and finding the net with a beautiful finish to give City a deserved lead going into the break.

The second half at Hill Dickinson Stadium exploded into life almost immediately, delivering chaos, drama, and a stunning turnaround.

Manchester City nearly doubled their lead within the opening minute after the restart. Bernardo Silva fired the initial shot, and the rebound fell kindly for O’Reilly, who attempted a volley but failed to connect cleanly, letting Everton off the hook.

Everton responded in the 52nd minute through Dewsbury-Hall, who tried his luck from long range, but his effort sailed high over the bar. Moments later, Ndiaye began to grow into the game, forcing Donnarumma into action in the 60th minute with a strike from the edge of the box. The Italian goalkeeper reacted well, and although the rebound dropped dangerously, no Everton player was there to capitalize.

The warning signs for City became even clearer in the 65th minute. A shocking lapse in concentration at the back allowed Ndiaye to burst through on goal despite being surrounded by defenders. One-on-one with Donnarumma, he looked certain to score, but the keeper produced a brilliant save to preserve City’s lead—temporarily.

Three minutes later, the equalizer finally arrived under bizarre circumstances. Barry capitalized on a dreadful back pass from Guehi, who inadvertently played him onside despite the forward initially being in an offside position. Barry showed composure to slot the ball past Donnarumma, and after a brief discussion, the officials allowed the goal to stand—sparking deafening celebrations.

Everton didn’t stop there. In the 73rd minute, they completed a remarkable turnaround. From a corner delivered by Garner, O’Brien rose highest and powered a header into the net, sending the home crowd into absolute frenzy and putting Everton 2-1 ahead.

Now full of confidence, David Moyes’ side kept pushing. Just three minutes later, Ndiaye was again involved, leading a counterattack and firing from the edge of the box, but this time his shot was straight at Donnarumma.

The game truly slipped away from Manchester City in the 81st minute. A costly loss of possession from Jeremy Doku triggered another Everton counterattack. Rohl’s attempt was parried, but Barry reacted quickest to the rebound, tapping home his second goal of the match to make it 3-1 and cap off a stunning collapse from the visitors.

However, City responded immediately. Straight from kickoff, Mateo Kovacic played a precise ball over the top for Haaland, who found himself one-on-one with Jordan Pickford and coolly lobbed the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the 83rd minute.

Just when it all seemed to be over, Jeremy Doku gave Manchester City artificial life support! In the dying seconds of the match, Doku got on the ball and scored an almost identical goal to his first, giving City a glimmer of hope in the title race.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 35

Friday

Leeds United - Burnley 3-1 (1-0)

/Stach 8, Okafor 52, Calvert-Lewin 56 - Tchaouna 71/

Saturday

Brentford - West Ham 3-0 (1-0)

/Mavropanos 12 og, Thiago 54 pen, Daamsgard 82/

Newcastle - Brighton 3-1 (2-0)

/Osula 12, Burn 24, Barnes 90+5 - Hinshelwood 61/

Wolves - Sunderland 1-1 (0-1)

/Bueno 54 - Mukiele 17/

Arsenal - Fulham 3-0 (3-0)

/Gyokeres 9, 45+4 Saka 40/

Sunday

Bournemouth - Crystal Palace 3-0 (2-0)

/Lerma 10 (og), Kroupi 32 (p), Rayan 77/

Man.Utd. - Liverpool 3-2 (2-0)

/Cunha 6, Sesko 14, Mainoo 77 - Szoboszlai 47, Gakpo 56/

Aston Villa - Tottenham 1-2 (0-2)

/Buendia 90+6 - Gallagher 12, Richarlison 25/

Monday

Chelsea - Nott. Forest 1-3 (0-2)

/Pedro 90+3 - Awoniyi 2, 52, Jesus 15 pen/

Everton - Man. City 3-3 (0-1)

/Barry 68, 81, O'Brien 73 - Doku 43, 90+7, Haaland 83/