Was this the day Manchester City gifted Premier League title to Arsenal?

The Gunners had already taken care of their own business, having dismantled Fulham 3-0 on Saturday evening, with the pressure truly on Pep Guardiola's men, who had looked immune to feeling the heat over recent weeks.

When Jeremy Doku found the top corner at the end of the first half, it felt like a formality that his side would waltz to victory, but an irresistible Everton had other ideas as they turned the game on its head with a whirlwind second-half display.

Of course, the title is far from decided, but it is now in Arsenal's hands. Here, DAZN News analyses what went wrong for Pep's side and why Mikel Arteta now has the edge.

Picking apart Manchester City's draw with Everton

Leading up to the title run-in, it was clear that Man City had the tougher fixtures on paper, with away trips to Everton and Bournemouth sticking out as potential banana skins.

However, this is a Guardiola side who simply know how to get the job done, and many thought they would take care of their own business regardless of who they faced between now and the end of the season.

With the score at 1-0, there was a tension hanging over the game, as the Toffees became increasingly threatening on the break, with Iliman Ndiaye in particular causing City's backline havoc.

It took an uncharacteristic blunder from Marc Guehi, though, to let David Moyes' side in with Thierno Barry latching on to his woefully underhit backpass to Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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From that moment, a switch flicked and all of a sudden it was Everton who bombed forward with purpose, creating devastating counterattacks that City could not deal with.

The Toffees' second came from a set-piece, where they have been particularly dangerous all season, with Jake O'Brien leaping the highest to glance Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's fine delivery into the net.

There was a hint of luck for Everton's third as Ndiaye's pass deflected into Barry's path, but every time that Moyes' men went forward, they looked like they were going to score, which should be a massive concern for Guardiola.

Doku's leveller at the death may well carry sizeable weight, but while he celebrated as if he had scored the winner, City's body language summed up that this was a significant blow to their title hopes.

Why the run-in favours Arsenal

The North Londoners now have a five-point advantage over the Cityzens, and although the latter have a favourable game in hand against Crystal Palace, it is certainly Arsenal's to lose.

Arteta's next test against West Ham stands out as their toughest fixture, as despite their 3-0 battering at Brentford, they have shown on their day that they have the tools to take points off any side.

Furthermore, Tottenham's statement victory over Aston Villa on the weekend means that the Hammers must take something from that game if they want to have a chance of survival.

After that, Arsenal face relegated Burnley at home before a final-day clash away to Palace, which may not be as tricky as it should be, given that they will likely be preparing for a Europa Conference League final.

As for Manchester City, they are expected to take six points from Brentford and the Eagles, but then comes their toughest task as they head to in-form Bournemouth three days after their FA Cup final with Chelsea.

Andoni Iraola's team are the form side of the division, having gone 16 games unbeaten - a run that has included victories over Arsenal and Liverpool.

City finish the Premier League campaign at home to Aston Villa, a match that would typically be difficult, but given their form and European ambitions, it looks set to be more straightforward.

Pep's side clinched the league title against the Villains on the final day in 2022, and while it could be secured in similar circumstances, you would have to favour Arsenal to get the job done.

What did Pep Guardiola say after City dropped points?

While the former Barcelona boss did not concede the Premier League title to his rivals, he admitted that his side had handed over control.

"It's now not in our ‌hands, before it was, now no," Guardiola said.

"Four games we have (remaining) in the Premier League. They will be quite similar and we'll see what happens."

Reflecting on his team's performance, he was quick to jump on the positives and reference his side's comeback from 3-1 down.

"It's better than losing," he said. "We'd rather win. We play for that and we just showed what a team we are. We tried everything. The players were aggressive."

Now it is up to Arsenal to see how they handle being favourites once again, and if they can get past the Irons, then they will have one hand on the title they have craved for more than two decades.

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