Everton were left apoplectic by their points deduction, in a decision they contested immediately.
‘Wholly disproportionate and unjust’ were the words written in their club statement, which outlined their intention to appeal the ruling.
Well, having now officially lodged that complaint, they await the results of a new trial that will hopefully come to a more amicable conclusion.
The work going on by some key figures will go a long way towards winning that battle, with Andy Burnham in the forefront, but now one pundit has actually suggested that the deduction could have proven to be beneficial to the club rather than detrimental.
Penning his Team of the Week for BBC Sport, Garth Crooks included both Jordan Pickford and Dwight McNeil for their efforts in the Toffees’ narrow win at Nottingham Forest.
When explaining his inclusion of the former, wrote the following on their recent plight: ‘To what extent their performance was galvanised by having been deducted 10 points by the game’s authorities is hard to determine. What was very clear was the celebration of the victory among their players and their fans at the end of the match.
‘It was Pickford’s free-kick, hoisted into the box for James Tarkowski to attack, that resulted in Dwight McNeil scoring the winning goal.
‘But it was the speed with which the England number one came out to smother the threat from Anthony Elanga’s attempt at goal, accompanied by his scream of delight, that epitomised Everton’s determination. This points reduction might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Toffees.’
Has Everton’s points deduction been beneficial?
Whilst it is simply impossible to quantify exactly whether the deduction has been beneficial for Everton, there are a few factors certainly set to receive a boost from such crushing news.
After all, the fanbase has arguably never been so together, united by one common enemy: the Premier League.
Their spectacular protests in recent weeks only emphasise that further, and were it not for Alejandro Garnacho’s early stunner the statistics suggest they were good value for an emphatic win of their own against Manchester United.
With a raucous backing now outlined both home and away, this week marks a true test of that unity as they welcome both Newcastle United and Chelsea to Goodison Park in the space of four days.
How Sean Dyche’s men react to those challenges will be a real marker of how influential the fans will be.
Another positive that the deduction has brought seems to have come from within the dressing room too, with the 52-year-old boss likely cultivating an ‘Everton vs The World’ mentality.
As such, many have spoken out about the injustice felt by the ruling, and will be particularly incensed to prove the division wrong.
One thing is for sure. The Premier League picked the wrong club to try and make an example out of.
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