'Not in our hands': Guardiola admits title slip after Everton draw

From Pep Guardiola's perspective, it was not quite a defeat - but it felt like something close to it.

A 3-3 draw away to Everton has shifted the balance of the title race away from Manchester City, leaving their fate no longer in their own hands.

"It's better than losing," Guardiola said. "It shows what type of team they are.

"The title is not in our hands. Before it was, now it's not. We have games left. We will see what happens."

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That, more than the result itself, was the defining takeaway. City had been warned this would be a difficult trip, and so it proved. Dropping two points at this stage of the season carries consequences, especially against a side still chasing European qualification. The margin for error, once minimal, has now effectively disappeared.

The equation is clear.

Arsenal, now firmly in control, know that three wins from their final three matches will secure a first league title since 2004. Their superior goal difference only strengthens that position, leaving City reliant not only on their own results, but on a slip elsewhere.

There are still scenarios in which the title could be decided before the final day. Should Arsenal maintain momentum while City falter again, the race may not stretch as far as many expected.

But Guardiola, typically, refused to look too far ahead. For City, the task is simple, if unforgiving: win what remains and apply pressure.

Their run-in offers little room for missteps. Fixtures against Brentford and Crystal Palace now take on added significance, each one carrying the weight of a must-win.

Arsenal's path is equally clear. Matches against West Ham United and others in the closing weeks present an opportunity, but also an expectation. As Thierry Henry warned, there is little room for complacency.

"It is back in their hands, that is a fact," he said. "But nothing is done."

That uncertainty remains the only constant. For City, though, the shift is undeniable. What was once control is now hope, and in a title race this tight, that can make all the difference.

WHO AGAINST WHO UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON

ARSENAL

vs West Ham (A)

vs Burnley (H)

vs Crystal Palace (A)

MANCHESTER CITY

vs Brentford (H)

vs Crystal Palace (H)

vs Bournemouth (A)

vs Aston Villa (A)