Guardiola frustrated as hopes of City taking Arsenal to wire left in critical condition | Jamie Jackson

Pep Guardiola walks off the pitch after a night when his team dropped two points in the title race. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

For the task, Guardiola sent out his strongest XI, eight of whom last started 12 days ago – an age in the competition’s terms: the 1-0 victory at Burnley on 22 April. It meant that from the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final victory over Southampton the Saturday before last only Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki and Nico González were retained. So back in came the stellar names of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly, Bernardo Silva, Antoine Semenyo, Doku and Erling Haaland.

Regarding the challenge for his team, David Moyes said: “Our motivation is to do something that can help bolster our ambitions rather than damaging theirs.”

Everton did both, as in the first half “Wake up! Wake up!” might have been the Guardiola call to his men. Then, minute 42 was reached, and slick Cherki footwork set up Doku, who shimmied left and stroked past Jordan Pickford.

Before this City were sluggish and aimless and required a Guardiola flea in the ear to remind them of the stakes. There were pretty passes and angles and a few openings, but precisely when not required the visitors were tame, becalmed. Doku, Cherki and Semenyo all flitted about to zero effect – and missed chances – as Everton’s lowest of low blocks stymied and frustrated City in this 376th Premier League game of Guardiola’s trophy-laden decade at the helm.

Yet at 1-0 City were heading for the three points. Now, though, came the oddity of witnessing a hapless error from Guéhi that cast him as City’s villain, his loose back-pass for Donnarumma going to Barry, who could not miss. O’Brien’s header from a corner made it 2-1, Barry completed Everton’s scoring, then Haaland chipped home, but City could not yank this game out of the fire – for victory, anyway.

Doku’s late equaliser may – only may – prove to have salvaged a vital point in the final analysis but this feels doubtful. Instead Semenyo’s invective when spraying a volley over before the break over seems apt regarding City’s prospects. “The winger screamed as he spurned a gilded chance to take the lead, and caused his manager to turn in anguish on the touchline.

Afterwards, Doku tried defiance, saying: “It feels painful. We will keep on fighting – we owe it to ourselves and our fans.” But this is now firmly Arsenal’s title to lose. Next up for City is Brentford’s visit on Saturday. Victory will close the gap to Arsenal, who travel to West Ham on Sunday, to two points: even this may not be enough.