'Couldn't get near them' - David Moyes insists Man City are 'the best team in the Premier League' despite Everton doing Arsenal huge title favour

Everton played out a dramatic 3-3 draw with Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium in a result that significantly reshaped the Premier League title race. Guardiola’s side were unable to secure victory despite taking an early lead, dropping crucial points in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The draw leaves Arsenal firmly in control of the race for the title. If Mikel Arteta’s side win their remaining three league matches against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace, Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years.

Despite the positive result for Everton, manager Moyes admitted his side struggled to cope with the visitors’ quality for long spells of the game. Moyes was full of admiration for Guardiola’s side after the match and insisted that, regardless of the standings, City are the strongest team in the league.

"I’m disappointed because we [Everton] were on the verge of taking three points against the best team at the moment in the Premier League," Moyes told reporters after the game. "Whether Man City go on to prove they’re the best team by winning it I don’t know. But there’s no doubt they’re playing better than any other team in the Premier League."

The Everton boss also revealed he has had limited contact with Arsenal manager Arteta, despite the draw boosting the Gunners’ title hopes. He added: "Now and again I speak to Mikel, but no, he’s got his own things he’ll have to keep focus on."

The game was a tale of two halves, with City dominating the opening period before a chaotic 13-minute spell saw Everton net three times. However, City’s resilience shone through as Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku clinical strikes eventually shared the spoils. Moyes reflected on the difficulty of matching City's tempo, noting that his side struggled during the first half.

"But at halftime, we would have taken this result because we were hugely outplayed in the first half," Moyes explained, as quoted by ESPN. "I wanted us to get more contact, closer to Manchester City. We couldn't get near them. They played really well, as well. But we weren't anywhere near what we've done.

"It was probably the poorest we've played here, certainly against the better teams this season. So, the players made a great effort to get us in the game, and when we got to 3-1, we should be doing enough to see it out, but we didn't do it. Getting a point against City is not a bad result, but when you're 3-1 up, you think you're in with a great chance of winning."

City must now focus on winning their remaining matches while hoping Arsenal slip up in the run-in. The draw leaves the Cityzens five points behind, albeit with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Gunners will aim to win their remaining three matches, starting with a trip to West Ham. But before that, Arteta's side will face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw.