How a little-known offside rule let Thierno Barry score the goal that shook City's title hopes

Key facts

• Everton and Manchester City drew 3-3 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.
• Thierno Barry scored twice for Everton, including a controversial equaliser.
• Barry was in an offside position when Merlin Röhl played a through-ball, but the goal stood after VAR review.
• The goal was allowed because City defender Marc Guehi made a deliberate play on the ball, resetting the offside phase.
• Jérémy Doku scored a last-minute screamer to secure a point for City.
• Arsenal lead the Premier League by six points over City, who have two games in hand.
• Erling Haaland scored to halve the deficit before Doku's equaliser.
• Jake O'Brien doubled Everton's lead after Barry's first goal.

A night of high drama at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Manchester City’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive Premier League title suffered a severe setback on Monday evening as they were held to a 3-3 draw by Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side six points behind Arsenal, albeit with two games in hand, but the manner of the draw — forged from a 3-1 deficit — raised as many questions about the title race as it did about the laws of the game. The match was billed as a must-win for City to keep pressure on the league leaders, and for much of the first half it appeared they would deliver. Jérémy Doku’s spectacular strike just before the interval gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, and City controlled proceedings until a second-half implosion turned the game on its head.

Barry’s controversial equaliser and the rule that saved it

The turning point arrived in the 65th minute when Everton substitute Thierno Barry scored an equaliser that was initially flagged for offside. Replays showed Barry was clearly in an offside position when teammate Merlin Röhl played a through-ball behind City’s defence. However, after a VAR review, the goal was allowed to stand — a decision that left players, fans, and pundits scrambling for an explanation. The rationale hinges on a little-known clause in the offside law. Although Barry was offside when the ball was played, City defender Marc Guehi made a deliberate attempt to clear the ball, essentially passing it directly to Barry. According to the rules, once a defender makes a “deliberate play” on the ball, the phase of play is reset, and the attacking player is no longer considered offside. Guehi’s under-hit back-pass to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was deemed a deliberate action, rendering Barry onside when he collected the ball and slotted home.

A precedent set by Mbappé and tightened guidelines

This is not the first time such a ruling has caused controversy at the highest level. Kylian Mbappé benefited from a similar interpretation when he scored for France in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final. In that instance, the defender’s touch was also judged to have reset the offside phase. Since then, the guidelines have been tightened, requiring that the defensive player’s action be a “deliberate play” — a threshold that Guehi’s clumsy pass clearly met. The decision, while correct under the laws, has reignited debate about the consistency and clarity of offside rulings. For City, the frustration was compounded by the speed of events: just five minutes after Barry’s equaliser, Everton defender Jake O’Brien headed the hosts into a 2-1 lead, and Barry added his second of the night in the 81st minute to make it 3-1.

City’s fightback falls short

Trailing by two goals with less than ten minutes remaining, City showed the resilience that has defined their title-winning campaigns. Erling Haaland halved the deficit with a clinical finish, and deep into stoppage time, Doku unleashed a screamer from outside the box to salvage a point. Yet the draw felt like a defeat for Guardiola’s side, who had expected to close the gap on Arsenal. The result leaves City with a mountain to climb. Arsenal’s six-point lead, combined with City’s two games in hand, means the title race remains alive but precarious. Every dropped point now magnifies the pressure, and the manner of Monday’s draw — born from a controversial interpretation of the offside rule — will linger as a what-if moment in the season.

What comes next for the title race

For Everton, the point is a valuable one in their fight for survival, but the spotlight remains firmly on City’s stuttering form. With Arsenal showing no signs of slowing down, Guardiola must rally his squad for the remaining fixtures. The two games in hand offer a path back to the top, but only if City can convert them into wins. The controversy over Barry’s goal will be debated for weeks, but the cold hard fact is that City dropped two points they could ill afford to lose. The title race, once seemingly a procession, is now a genuine contest — and a little-known offside rule has played a starring role.

The bottom line

• Thierno Barry’s controversial equaliser was allowed because Marc Guehi’s deliberate play on the ball reset the offside phase.
• The ruling follows a precedent set by Kylian Mbappé’s goal in the 2021 Nations League final, with guidelines now requiring a deliberate play.
• Everton scored three second-half goals to take a 3-1 lead before City fought back to draw 3-3.
• Manchester City now trail Arsenal by six points in the Premier League title race, with two games in hand.
• The draw deals a significant blow to City’s hopes of winning a fourth consecutive league title.
• The incident has sparked renewed debate over the clarity and consistency of offside interpretations.