FOOTBALL – MANCHESTER City’s Jeremy Doku struck deep into injury time as Pep Guardiola’s side rescued a 3-3 draw at Everton yesterday, but the dropped points dealt a significant blow to their Premier League title hopes.
City trail leaders Arsenal by five points but with a game in hand after a chaotic contest in which Everton fought back thanks to a huge defensive blunder by City’s Marc Guehi, and now need Arsenal – who have 76 points after 35 games – to stumble in one of their final three games to keep their chances of lifting the trophy alive.
Doku, who also scored City’s opener in the 43rd minute, fired into the top corner from the edge of the box in the 97th minute to level after a wild second half that featured a Thierno Barry double and a goal from Jake O’Brien.
Barry intercepted Guehi’s horrific pass back to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to level in the 68th minute and open the floodgates. O’Brien gave Everton the lead in the 73rd minute and Barry completed his double in the 81st.
But City were not backing down as Erling Haaland pulled one back in the 83rd minute before Doku’s late-game heroics.
Meanwhile, Chelsea suffered a humiliating 3-1 home defeat by a second-string Nottingham Forest side, extinguishing any lingering hope of a top-five finish that would guarantee Champions League football next season.
It was the listless and error-ridden London side’s sixth league defeat in a row, after buoyant Forest went ahead within two minutes through a sharp header from Taiwo Awoniyi, who added another breakaway goal in the 52nd minute. Igor Jesus converted a penalty in the 15th minute.
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer had a penalty saved just before halftime after 18-year-old winger Jesse Shaun Derry was taken to hospital following a clash of heads with Zach Abbott. Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez and Forest substitute Morgan Gibbs-White were second-half head injury casualties but both walked off the pitch.
Joao Pedro scored a spectacular overhead consolation goal in the 93rd minute.
Forest, who are still not mathematically out of relegation danger, left several first-choice players on the bench in anticipation of their Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa on Thursday.
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