Everton were denied their first win over Manchester City in nine years.
Jeremy Doku put the visitors ahead just two minutes before the half-time interval with sublime long-range strike into the top left-hand corner.
But substitute Thierno Barry drew the Blues level in the second half after seizing on a weak Marc Guehi pass and slotting past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Jake O’Brien put the hosts in the lead just five minutes later as he rose to guide home James Garner’s left-sided corner into the South Stand’s net.
Barry added a third as he slotted in from a Merlin Rohl cutback which lasted just a matter of moments when Erling Haaland instantly reduced the deficit.
David Moyes’ side found themselves undone in the seventh minute of added time as Doku struck again to snatch a point for City’s ailing title challenge.
Here were the key talking points from Hill Dickinson Stadium:
A night of broken dreams
Manchester City may have surrendered momentum in the Premier League’s title race but this 3-3 draw carrie at a hefty cost to Everton’s ambitions, too.
Hopes of a much-anticipated return to European competitions hinged on them breaking an equally lengthy hoodoo against Pep Guardiola’s disjointed side.
The two went hand-in-hand, with the Blues’ last victory over City in 2017 coming just months before their ill-fated foray into the Europa League.
Plans for nights at Hill Dickinson Stadium to carry a continental air were dashed amid the madness of yet another Monday night domestic fixture.
For a third game running, David Moyes’ side were sucker-punched deep in added time to put their hopes of an outside shot on the brink of collapse.
It is only the Blues’ credible away record which has kept them mathematically still in contention heading into the final three games of the current campaign.
But Moyes’ ability to play the percentages does not translate to home form, especially against a City team whose dominance hit them where it hurt.
Salvaging a point may be a Pyrrhic victory for the visitors yet Everton had a greater reason to mourn Bramley-Moore Dock’s night of broken dreams.
Barry finally rises to the challenge
Thierno Barry’s debut season at Everton is a tale of trials and tribulations.
On and off the pitch, the former France under-21 international has struggled to cope with the weight of expectations since a summer arrival from Villarreal.
Moyes even warned the No.11 that he faced a fight to even become the default striker option during Beto’s absence due to concussion protocols.
The Scot’s threat proved to be unfounded but Barry’s starring role for last weekend’s defeat at West Ham posed more questions than answers.
However his latest, now customary, second-half introduction for Beto finally had a desired effect as Everton flipped their one-goal deficit into a 3-1 lead.
His anticipation to seize on Marc Guehi’s undercooked back pass was the type of instinct that had been sorely lacking in previous cameo appearances.
Two goals in the space of 13 minutes vindicated Moyes’ decision to switch things up and silenced the boo boys who jeered Barry’s initial introduction.
Rising to that challenge on a more consistent basis will not enhance his side’s prospects but also help convert his current army of doubters into believers.
Rohl has a trick up his sleeve
Idrissa Gueye’s injury forced Moyes into a eyebrow-raising reshuffle.
Most fans spent the countdown to kick-off trying to work out where exactly Merlin Rohl fitted into his manager’s plans on a first start since mid-January.
He partnered James Garner in midfield for that win at Aston Villa but only one of them could conceivably operate there with Tim Iroegbunam also selected.
As it was, the German found himself operating in the right-wing role, which proved to be an inspired move for the most part by the Everton boss.
He offered a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal opening 45 minutes before contributing an assist for Barry’s second after the break.
Rohl was a constant nuisance to City that even the experienced Bernardo Silva stumped for answers onr how to stop him in the game’s latter stages.
Only the ineptitude of VAR spared the Portuguese stalwart from conceding a penalty for his clear and obvious manhandling of the 23-year-old at a corner.
Even in unorthodox positions, Rohl still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.