Arsenal handed major title race boost as Marc Guehi howler leads to Man City collapse

In the space of just five minutes, the Premier League title race has been flipped on its head.

A staggering strike at the death from Jeremy Doku saved Manchester City from a shock defeat to Everton as the two sides played out a pulsating 3-3 draw.

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However, the result is still of great benefit to Arsenal as City are five points behind the league-leading Gunners and with only one game in hand.

Doku gave City the lead at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the 43rd minute with a curled effort from just inside the box.

But the contest came alive midway through the second half when an inexplicable howler from Marc Guehi got Everton back into the match.

Guehi’s moment of madness

Merlin Rohl attempted to slip Thierno Barry past the City back line, but the French striker was in an offside position.

Guehi went to sweep up the loose pass with the idea of playing it back for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to clear.

However, Barry read Guehi’s mind and raced onto the under-hit pass before coolly slotting past Donnarumma.

Initially Barry’s effort was ruled out for offside, which he was at the time of Rohl’s pass.

But because of Guehi’s intervention, it meant Barry being offside had effectively been cancelled, making him eligible to score.

Yet worse was to come for City in the 73rd minute, when Jake O’Brien rose highest to head home from James Garner‘s corner on the left.

It sparked jubilant scenes among Everton supporters at Hill Dickinson Stadium and certainly in north London too.

City, especially Donnarumma, protested the goal and, remarkably, the Italian was on his knees at one point almost begging referee Michael Oliver to chalk off the goal.

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But Oliver and VAR remained unmoved, meaning O’Brien’s goal stood.

There was worse to come for City, though.

Rohl was slipped down the right flank and skipped past Mateo Kovacic, who forlornly attempted a sliding challenge.

The German then straightened his running line before spotting Barry in the middle.

Rohl promptly played the ball to Barry, who made no mistake with a first-time finish.

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Haa Haa Land

However, Erling Haaland instantly sparked life back into City as he capped off a rapid move through Everton’s lines to make it 3-2.

And just when it seemed as if Everton would hold on for a famous victory, Doku fizzed a staggering curled effort from the edge of the box that a diving Jordan Pickford could not keep out.