Phil Foden signs new four-year deal as Man City title hopes fade after Everton draw

Key facts

• Phil Foden, 25, agreed a four-year contract extension with Manchester City until 2030, with an option for an additional year.
• Foden has not scored since 14 December and has struggled for form in recent months.
• Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton on Monday, blowing a halftime lead at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
• Jeremy Doku scored twice (43', 90+7') for City; Thierno Barry (68', 82') and Jake O'Brien (73') scored for Everton; Erling Haaland made it 3-2 in the 83rd minute.
• City trail Arsenal by five points in the Premier League with four matches remaining; Arsenal have three left.
• Pep Guardiola admitted the title race is now in Arsenal's hands.
• Foden came on as a substitute in the Everton match.
• England manager Thomas Tuchel said Foden's place in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed.

A point salvaged, but control lost

Manchester City squandered a halftime lead and handed the initiative in the Premier League title race to Arsenal after a chaotic 3-3 draw with Everton on Monday at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Jeremy Doku opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, but three second-half goals from Everton — Thierno Barry struck twice (68', 82') and Jake O'Brien added another (73') — put the hosts 3-1 ahead with under 10 minutes to play. Erling Haaland pulled one back in the 83rd minute, and Doku completed his brace in the seventh minute of stoppage time to salvage a point. City now trail Arsenal by five points with four matches left on their schedule, while the Gunners have only three games remaining. "We owe to ourselves and the Manchester City fans to fight Arsenal till the end," Doku said after the match. Pep Guardiola acknowledged the shift in control: the title race, he admitted, is now in Arsenal's hands.

Foden commits to City amid form struggles

Hours after the final whistle, Phil Foden reached an agreement in principle on a new four-year contract with Manchester City, keeping him at the Etihad until 2030 with an option for a further year. The 25-year-old's previous deal was set to expire next summer. The announcement signals a mutual commitment despite Foden's recent dip in form: he has not scored since 14 December and has struggled for consistency in recent months. Foden came on as a substitute in Monday's draw, his 365th appearance for the club since his debut as a 17-year-old under Guardiola. In that time he has won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, and two FA Cups. His place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup is not guaranteed, Tuchel said last month, despite Foden being the only player to start both games in England's final pre-tournament camp.

Rooney urges Guardiola to keep playing Foden

Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney has called on Guardiola to give Foden regular minutes. "I think you have to put him in the team," Rooney said on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show. "I love watching him play, I love his little movements, how he gets into the pockets of space. It's not nice watching him sitting on the bench." Rooney acknowledged Foden's bad moments but argued that a player of his quality should not be sidelined for weeks. He contrasted Foden's style with the "real power, pace and raw speed" of wingers like Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo, suggesting Guardiola may be prioritising defensive help on the flanks.

A title race defined by fine margins

City's draw at Everton was the latest in a series of dropped points that have eroded their grip on the Premier League. Guardiola's side could finish the season on a 16-match unbeaten run and still fall short, with observers pointing to a scoreless draw at Sunderland on New Year's Day, a last-minute concession to Gabriel Martinelli that gave Arsenal a point at the Emirates in September, and now the Everton stalemate as moments where the title slipped away. For all the criticism of Mikel Arteta's allegedly cautious approach, Arsenal rarely play games that could end 3-3. City must now hope the Gunners suffer simultaneous attacking cold spells and defensive lapses — a tall order.

What next for City and Foden

City host Brentford on Saturday at 12:30pm ET, while Everton travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday at 9am ET. Foden will be hoping to secure a place in Tuchel's 24-man World Cup squad; his new contract suggests the club sees him as a long-term asset despite his current form. The midfielder's ability to rediscover his scoring touch and earn regular minutes will be crucial both for City's run-in and his international prospects. For now, the Premier League title is Arsenal's to lose.

The bottom line

• Phil Foden signed a new four-year contract with Manchester City through 2030, with an option for another year.
• Foden has not scored since December and is not guaranteed a place in England's World Cup squad.
• Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton, blowing a halftime lead and falling five points behind Arsenal with four matches left.
• Jeremy Doku scored twice, Erling Haaland once for City; Thierno Barry scored twice and Jake O'Brien once for Everton.
• Pep Guardiola admitted the title race is now in Arsenal's hands.
• Wayne Rooney urged Guardiola to play Foden regularly, citing his quality and movement.