Everton’s impending points deduction has been a point of immense contention, given how the club has made their feelings known about ruling, but also the timing of its emergence.
Just one day after news had broke noting the passing of their Chairman Bill Kenwright, The Telegraph were swift to detail the Premier League’s plans to snag 12 points from the high-flying Toffees for their financial misconduct.
Whilst they remain staunch in their stance refuting the allegations, it remained a worry for an outfit that has avoided the drop by two and four points respectively over the last two years.
However, since that daunting notion surfaced, the Merseyside outfit have actually hit imperious form.
In fact, they are yet to lose, having brushed aside West Ham United and Crystal Palace, Burnley in the cup, as well as claiming a hard-fought point against Brighton and Hove Albion in a clash Sean Dyche will feel they deserved more.
As such, they have opened up an eight-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone, which journalist Phil McNulty thinks could prove enough to save them even with the deduction.
He told BBC Match of the Day: ‘I will make a bold claim and one that probably condemns Everton to certain doom. They’ll stay up even if they have 12 points taken off them. There. I’ve said it.’
Would Everton get relegated with a points deduction?
Whilst in previous campaigns such a ruling would have definitely sentenced Everton to the drop, such is the lack of quality in the bottom three and impressive form of the Toffees, there is every reason to agree with McNulty’s claim.
After all, over the last five Premier League game weeks only two sides have picked up more points than Dyche’s men, highlighting their blistering run.
To lose 12 points would be a hammer blow, but such an unprecedented outcome might help forge an even stronger bond between the fans and their players, truly fuelling the ‘us vs the world’ mentality being slowly cultivated in L4.
Not only that, but if the deduction was to be enforced now, Everton would only be seven points from safety too. Such a figure is definitely assailable for a side enjoying the aforementioned form.
Whilst it is impossible to properly predict whether it would definitively bring relegation, McNulty makes a very valid point to suggest otherwise.
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