'Contradictory' Guardiola keeping people guessing on futurepublished at 14:46 BST 6 May
14:46 BST 6 May
Rumours persist that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could leave the club this summer despite having another year on his contract.
The Daily Mail's northern football reporter Jack Gaughan told BBC Radio Manchester: "It'll be interesting to see what gets announced in the next few weeks I suppose.
"He's been kind of contradictory when he's been public facing. He looks like he's got loads of energy and could go on forever but then he's been quite wistful and nostalgic when he's talking about English football and things like that, so I think he's trying his best to keep people guessing but the noise is quite loud isn't it?"
Listen to more including reaction to the draw with Everton below or on BBC Sounds here.
What is Foden's role, and is he doing enough?published at 10:54 BST 6 May
10:54 BST 6 May
Chris Adams BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Phil Foden's descent down the Manchester City pecking order is a complicated one.
Come the end of the month, he may have racked up his highest number of appearances in a season across all club competitions, but in terms of starts and minutes played, this will be far from his most prominent campaign.
He is level on goals with Rayan Cherki, a player widely considered to be enjoying a fine first season in English football. Excluding last summer's Club World Cup, Foden has made more starts than Cherki, Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Savinho and January signing Antoine Semenyo.
Clearly, Pep Guardiola still feels there is a role for Foden, and a new contract is a strong endorsement of the Englishman's undoubted talents.
But what is that role? And is Foden doing enough when he is on the pitch?
The 25-year-old set a high bar with his performances in City's Treble-winning 2023-24 season, registering a career-high 27 goals and 12 assists. The subsequent two years have been less productive, and Foden's function in the side has changed.
The pacier options of Doku and Semenyo have been feeding the league's top scorer, Erling Haaland, from out wide, with Cherki often preferred as the playmaker in an attacking midfield role.
That means Foden has occasionally operated deeper, limiting his ability to score and supply the killer pass.
Per 90 minutes, his attacking numbers aren't favourable when compared with his colleagues in sky blue.
Highs and lows to despair and elationpublished at 10:48 BST 6 May
10:48 BST 6 May
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
You get highs and lows every week in football, but as you get to the business end it morphs into despair and elation on the grand scale. The emotional explosions have come earlier than usual with this weekend cranking them up to 11.
Manchester City seemed to be slowly squeezing the life out of Everton in the first half at the Hill Dickinson, but the Toffees are no longer compliant victim, however big the beast is that's attacking them. They defended for their lives, then battled and fought until the window of salvation opened, and it opened for 13 magical minutes. Well, they were magical if you were a Toffee.
There was only one more thing I wanted in this sensational little period of the season, an Arsenal fan sitting beside me to watch their emotional rollercoaster. The fabulous passion inside the stunning stadium would have been mirrored in the homes or local pubs of every Gunner watching on.
At least City moved through the gears to get a point but three goals away from home – two of them 'worldies' from Jeremy Doku – should always be enough to take the three points.
Gossip: Man City keen to sign Kroupipublished at 07:25 BST 6 May
07:25 BST 6 May
Barcelona are interested in Bournemouth's 19-year-old forward Junior Kroupi, but they will face competition from Manchester City and several other Premier League clubs for the France Under-21 international. (Sky Sports, external)
Why Man City weren't ready to win the Premier League this seasonpublished at 19:31 BST 5 May
19:31 BST 5 May
Freddie Pye Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
The dream of bringing the Premier League title back to Etihad Stadium may not be mathematically over for Pep Guardiola's squad, but Monday night's chaotic 3-3 draw at Everton felt like the moment when the cold, hard reality of squad transition finally caught up with us.
For all of Manchester City's brilliance at various points this season, they were never quite ready to win the league. The blueprint of their undoing was laid bare in a 13-minute second-half period when those on Merseyside entirely lost their heads.
Under the suffocating intensity of Hill Dickinson Stadium, Guardiola's men showed a clear inability to compose themselves.
Forced mistakes - highlighted by Marc Guehi's costly backpass error - led to a flurry of Everton goals that perhaps a peak, battle-hardened and experienced City side of years gone by would have comfortably blocked out.
But was this defensive collapse just inevitable at some stage?
Over the past 18 months, the squad has changed a lot, with a lack of experience in key positions. Expecting flawless game management in a hostile Merseyside environment was always a big ask.
There is a strong argument to suggest City might have actually overachieved this season.
That might sound far-fetched when looking at the money spent on the squad, but pushing a settled, meticulously built Arsenal side this deep into May is a commendable feat, especially when contrasted with their long-standing, work-in-progress project under Mikel Arteta.
City are rebuilding - and yet they are still competing for the biggest prize in England right until the bitter end.
If anything, a wild night against Everton was another hugely promising pointer towards a bright future, and the very shining light was Jeremy Doku.
The Belgian's performance felt like a true coming-of-age moment. As usual, he dazzled with his one-v-one traits, but he added that end product when the pressure couldn't have been greater.
This season may belong to Arsenal but, with talents like Doku evolving before our eyes, City's transitional phase will be incredibly short-lived.
Whatever the future holds on a managerial front, the greatest of trophy-winning days may only be around the corner in the grand scheme of things.
'We did not give up and we are not going to give up' - Dokupublished at 18:02 BST 5 May
18:02 BST 5 May
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Jeremy Doku says the Premier League title race is "not over" and Manchester City will "fight until the end" to try to chase down leaders Arsenal.
Doku scored two sensational goals, including a last-gasp 97th-minute equaliser, in Monday's thrilling 3-3 draw at Everton, which left Pep Guardiola's side trailing the Gunners by five points.
Dropping two points at Hill Dickinson Stadium means City's fate is now out of their hands and they need Mikel Arteta's men to come unstuck in their three remaining games against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace.
"We know how important it is to win those types of games," said a defiant Doku.
"We did not give up and we are not going to give up. There are still some games. We are going to fight until the end, and at the end we will count the points.
"[We are] disappointed but it is not over. We are going to recover now, take the positives, take the negatives and work on it.
"We have a busy schedule and we are going to look forward. We are still in two competitions and we have a final to play.
"One point is better than nothing. We came for three points and it did not work out."
'Foden has to play every game for me' - Rooneypublished at 13:26 BST 5 May
13:26 BST 5 May
Image source, Getty Images
Speaking before the news that Phil Foden has reached an agreement in principle over a new four-year deal at Manchester City, Manchester United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney delivered a ringing endorsement of the attacker.
The 25-year-old has struggled for form in recent months and has not scored since 14 December, but has made 365 appearances for City, winning six Premier League titles, one Champions League and two FA Cups, since making his debut at 17.
He came on as a substitute in Monday's six-goal thriller at Everton, which leaves City five points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
"Foden has to play every game for me," Rooney said on BBC Sounds' The Wayne Rooney Show.
"I think you have to put him in the team. I've been big on this with Phil Foden - I love watching him play.
"I love his little movements, I love how he gets into pockets of space. It's not nice watching him sitting on the bench and I think he has to play every game.
"I know you've got Cherki and Semenyo who has come in and Doku who is a breath of fresh air as well - he's incredible. But, I think you just have to play Foden.
"When you're in Manchester you hear different things on players. I was the same - people will have heard things on me when I was playing. But, it's very rarely with Foden. So, I couldn't tell you if there is something going on behind the scenes, but I think think he's come throught he academy, battled to get to the first team, won six Premier League titles - it's incredible.
"To see him sat on the bench, even for Man City, is not nice to watch. Then you see foreign lads coming in and getting opportunities ahead of him. When De Bruyne went I thought, 'put him in there and leave him in there'.
"I think he was doing well [this season]. He's had bad moments, but when you have a bad moment and you're taken out and put on the sidelines for weeks on end, I just think a player of that quality, you have to just keep playing him."
Stuart: Hard to criticise our performance but we should have won given that it's the third game in a row we have conceded in time added on, which has probably seen off our European challenge. Might have had five on the night with better finishing.
Ben: As an Everton fan, I didn't think I'd say after the match that I'd be disappointed with a draw, but this was two dropped points. The bad defending on City's second goal and Ndiaye's disappointing finishing will haunt me. City honestly offered nothing except for Doku. They were poor and didn't deserve a point out of this. But again they found a way to save themselves.
G.Edwards: Everton were brilliant and deserved to win.
Harry: Wow! 3-1 up with eight minutes left - the game was pretty weird. Referees have a habit of making life difficult for Everton - and it's not a moan, it's a fact. Three games on the run we have dropped points in injury time. Bad luck or bad coaching?
Jeff: After being 3-1 up, this feels like a loss. And just like against Arsenal this loss is totally down to Moyes - bringing on three substitutes after the 90th minute in a cowardly effort to waste time. It once again broke the momentum and it backfired on us. It reminds me of Moyes' first spell at Everton. When will he ever stop doing this? We can definitely say goodbye to being in Europe next season.
Man City fans
Kenneth: Very poor defensively but Doku was outstanding. I think the title is now Arsenal's as cannot see them dropping any points from their remaining games, and their run-in looks, on paper, easier than City's.
Daniel: It just shows how difficult it is to beat Everton under Moyes. City should have been out of sight in the first half but they were busy playing entertaining football.
Elaine: All that first half possession and pressure meant nothing. Awful lapse of concentration from Guehi and bringing Kovacic on didn't work. Cherki needs to stop showboating and come up with a decent end product. Now need to hope Arsenal slip up - stranger things happened! "This isn't over!"
Gene: Again complacency ruined a golden opportunity for a win. The lack of desire to score goals when a win as well as goals are needed. The situation is of their own doing and now have to hope Arsenal stumble.
Harry: I'm not going to celebrate a draw or praise these players. The draw was the bare minimum they owed after what I saw in that second half. I'm proud of the lads for the performances this season, but it's clear a lot of them don't have the mentality for a title race yet. Doku, Donnarumma and Haaland were fine. Everyone else needs to take a look at themselves. I won't berate Guehi because he knows he has to do better than that. Credit to Everton as they were well up for it. We haven't lost the title with this result, rather we lost it to Spurs, West Ham, Sunderland, Brighton and Forest. We can still take an FA Cup but we'll have to come back for Arsenal next year.
'It has to be Arsenal's title now' - pundit reactionpublished at 08:07 BST 5 May
08:07 BST 5 May
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City's late rally but points slip at Everton has everyone talking.
On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam described it as a "big dent" in City's title push.
Ex-City goalkeeper Shay Given said however: "Let's not forget, this is two points dropped, but it could be a huge point. I don't think anybody thought they were going to drop two points tonight. Now it is wide open. It has to be Arsenal's title now."
Rory Smith, Football Correspondent for The Observer, added:"That late goal from Jeremy Doku changes it a little bit. It means Arsenal can't afford to lose a game. That was the break Arsenal have been waiting for. It proves that Manchester City's players are susceptible to nerves as well. We have been treating it as though the only team that can buckle in the title race is Arsenal.
"Arsenal laid down the gauntlet on Saturday, they got the win and got the goal difference and said to City: 'Go on, try and catch us.' And City couldn't ultimately."
On Sky Sports, former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry said: "I wouldn't be thinking 'we can afford to drop points now' if I was Arsenal, but it is back in their hands, that is a fact.
"I am going to stay in my lane, I am not going to celebrate too early. Nothing is done.
"Manchester City dropped two points, but you can't start to think that maybe [you can drop points]. There is no maybe. I am worried for the West Ham game, like I was worried for City [against Everton] today."
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said: "We don't know if that point will be vital towards the end of the season, but it almost feels like everyone is disappointed.
"Man City will be because they were up 1-0. Arsenal's biggest rivals have dropped two points but their players and supporters will be absolutely devastated that it could have been a defeat.
Gossip: Inter trigger Akanji optionpublished at 08:07 BST 5 May
08:07 BST 5 May
Inter Milan have automatically triggered a 15m euro (£13m) clause to sign Manchester City's Manuel Akanji after winning Serie A. The defender joined the Italian side on loan last summer. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Everton 3-3 Man City: What Guardiola and Doku saidpublished at 08:07 BST 5 May
08:07 BST 5 May
Media caption,
Really good goals from Doku in really good game - Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to BBC MOTD: "As always, the result is the result. Second half we gave away some balls. We didn't have that intention to attack a little bit more, but it's normal. They make a step-up, and they were so incredible in the duels. The British Premier League - we know that.
"In the end, we gave away the first goal, and after the corner that was not a corner. At the end, we showed we would keep going, keep going."
On Michael Keane's challenge on Jeremy Doku: "What do you think? It is for the pundits. I know exactly. It is not necessary.
"Listen, I can talk about a lot of points this season. It is not necessary. If you don't know me after 10 seasons that I am not going to talk about that after what has happened. We take a point."
On Doku's goals: "Top goals. The final third is how we create that situation.
"It is top, and it is outstanding. So it is difficult. The game is physical. We were there, we missed the first half to capitalise a little bit better.
"In general, it was a really good game."
Man City's Jeremy Doku, speaking to Sky Sports: "First half we played well and created a lot of chances. We know if we don't score those chances it is going to get difficult at the end.
"Obviously, they are at their own stadium, they create chances, and they are dangerous, and they scored two goals, but I think we gave them the game.
"Good that we came back because one point is not bad in games like this."
On Everton's deep defensive line: "Difficult because they had players in the box. Whenever we arrive at the byline it is difficult because there is a lot of players there. We scored, then it was more open. Second half we were too sloppy.
"I think we were winning, so they started to press more, and they are more aggressive as well, and then it's on us to stay calm in those situations.
"We know that one point can be important at the end. Happy to score and happy to help the team."
On dropping two points: "We will see. It feels painful now. There is still a lot of games to go. We lost two points today. We will keep on fighting - we owe it to ourselves and to our fans."
Did you know?
Manchester City have dropped the joint-most points from winning positions in the Premier League since the turn of the year (12 – level with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United).
Jeremy Doku's equaliser (96:49) was Manchester City's third-latest goal on record (since 2006-07) in a Premier League game after John Stones' strike against Arsenal in September 2024 (97:14) and Gabriel Jesus' goal against Everton in February 2019 (96:52).
Analysis: Guardiola's side lose groundpublished at 22:24 BST 4 May
22:24 BST 4 May
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
With five league games remaining before their trip to Merseyside, this contest was deemed as one of the trickiest matches Manchester City needed to negotiate.
They were unable to do so as they would have wanted, despite Jeremy Doku's late leveller.
A madcap second-half performance riddled with anxiety and errors leaves Arsenal as the big winners of the day, knowing three wins will guarantee them a first title in more than two decades.
City did take the lead through Doku's first stunning strike but could not cope with the intensity of Everton's players and the sheer volume of noise from the home supporters.
England defender Marc Guehi has often been cool under pressure for the national team and at former club Crystal Palace, but was jittery in large parts here and the inexplicable error in trying to pass the ball back to Gianluigi Donnarumma gave the hosts the boost they needed.
City rescued a draw to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games in the league, collecting more points (25) than any other side during that period, but will head home filled with regret.
Though they showed battling spirit by fighting until the end and grabbing a goal with almost the last kick of the game, a point in these circumstances cannot be classed as being good enough.
Everton v Manchester City: Team newspublished at 19:28 BST 4 May
19:28 BST 4 May
Everton make two changes following their last-gasp defeat against West Ham last weekend.
On-loan German midfielder Merlin Rohl gets a start, as does Tim Iroegbunam, with Dwight McNeil dropping out and Idrissa Gueye not involved in the squad.
Manchester City last played nine days ago when they edged past Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final and boss Pep Guardiola has reverted to his full strength side.
There are eight changes in all with only Wembley match-winner Nico Gonzalez, Matheus Nunes and Rayan Cherki keeping their places in the side.
Rodri is not involved as he continues to recover from a groin injury, but former Toffee John Stones is on the bench against his old club.
Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly, Silva, Gonzalez, Doku, Semenyo, Cherki, Haaland.
'Man City have got to enjoy the chase' - Hartpublished at 15:06 BST 4 May
15:06 BST 4 May
Image source, Getty Images
Two-time Premier League winner Joe Hart believes Manchester City find themselves "chasing" Arsenal for the Premier League top spot again, after being bumped down to second as the Gunners picked up three points against Fulham at Emirates Stadium.
"Manchester City have only got one mindset and that is that they are chasing," Hart said. "They have got to enjoy the chase up until the final whistle goes, and then they have just got to execute their plan.
"It is an interesting mindset to be in. There will be a buzz in training [before their next match] - 100% there will be a buzz."
Pep Guardiola's focus will certainly be on his side's Premier League clash with Everton on Monday night, while Mikel Arteta's focus will shift to the club's midweek Champions League semi-final second leg against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
