Everton, in what has been a truly torrid week of mass upheaval, had little time to even grieve the death of their Chairman Bill Kenwright before news had broken of the Premier League‘s impending punishment.
It is a story that has dominated the media, understandably so, with the potential ramifications set to be colossal for a side that has not been relegated since 1951.
Should the 12-point deduction be enforced, as The Telegraph is suggesting it will be, then surely that record will finally be cut short, given Sean Dyche’s side survived by just two points last season.
That is certainly the thought process of journalists Martyn Zeigler and Miguel Delaney, who spoke to Sky Sports regarding their survival prospects. The latter would note: ‘Huge repercussions, potentially changing the face of the club and to a certain degree the Premier League given what it could potentially illustrate going forward about say the Manchester City case.
‘Everton’s position in this is that they had allowances for the effects of COVID. I suppose we’ve been in a situation now where Everton have been treading water for some time.
‘It’s actually been, not quite a miracle that they stayed up, but they could have gone down a few seasons and you would think, if it comes to this, and actually the chatter last week was that it was expected to be a suspended points sentence, but the reports from today obviously would suggest a firmer deduction or something much stronger, this would surely relegate them. That could have financial consequences. We wait to see what happens with the takeover.’
What would the table look like if Everton got a point deduction?
As a side never bound to finish well clear from the relegation zone, such a lofty penalty could prove catastrophic in their bid to escape the drop narrowly for a third consecutive campaign.
After all, their aforementioned survival margin from last season was just two shy of the four points they finished clear of the drop during the 2021/22 term, in which Rafa Benitez arguably kickstarted their free-fall.
Were they to deduct 12 points from their current campaign, in which they have just seven points from nine games, the Toffees would be sent down to -5, six points away from rock-bottom Sheffield United, and ten points from the safety of Luton Town’s current 17th-placed position.
As a landmark case in which the Premier League are clearly desperate to make an example of Everton, despite it being one of their largest and most ever-present sides, Dyche will have to rally his troops to ensure that the potential punishment is not enough to doom them to the drop.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
