They were denied a win as Andre Ayew’s deflected free-kick cancelled out Kelechi Iheanacho’s close-range opener.
The draw leaves them three points ahead of Manchester United, whose final game, against Bournemouth, was abandoned.
City’s vastly superior goal difference means United would need a 19-0 win over the Cherries to take fourth place.
Iheanacho – the on-field embodiment of a potentially exciting future – again demonstrated his sharpness in front of goal to poke home the opening goal after a Sergio Aguero shot had been saved in the fifth minute.
It was the 19-year-old’s 14th goal of the season and his eighth from his first 12 shots on target in the Premier League.
But he and his side failed to build on it, missing numerous chances to put the game to bed, with the young forward and his usually lethal Argentine partner Aguero particularly wasteful.nacho shines