Crystal Palace, Brentford and Sheff Utd relegation rivals dealt immediate points penalty

Crystal Palace and Brentford Premier League relegation rivals Everton have been slapped with a further two-point penalty for breaches of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The top flight table was shaken up on Monday as the Toffees were hit with yet another deduction this season. Sean Dyche's side had sat 15th in the Premier League table, four points above the bottom three, but now slip down to 16th place.

Brentford have leapfrogged the Merseyside club in the table with Everton now just two points and two places above 18th-placed Luton Town. Crystal Palace have seen the gap between themselves in 14th and Everton increased to three points with Fulham now 11 points ahead in 13th.

Everton had already been deducted 10 points for financial breaches in November that saw the club exceed permitted losses by £19.5 million over a period ending with the 2021/22 season. That penalty had been reduced to six points after a successful appeal.

The club was charged again in January, alongside Nottingham Forest, for failing to abide by Premier League regulations in the 2022/23 season. Everton have issued a statement expressing 'extreme concern' about the latest penalty.

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The statement read: "In January 2024, Everton were charged by the Premier League for breaching the permitted Profit and Sustainability thresholds for the assessment period ending 2022/23.

"The matter was referred to a Premier League Commission, which has today announced Everton will receive an immediate two-point deduction. While the Club’s position has been that no further sanction was appropriate, the Club is pleased to see that the Commission has given credit to the majority of the issues raised by the Club, including the concept of double punishment, the significant mitigating circumstances facing the Club due to the war in Ukraine, and the high level of co-operation and early admission of the Club’s breach.

"Everton remains committed to working collaboratively with the League on all matters relating to PSR but is extremely concerned by the inconsistency of different commissions in respect of points deductions applied.

"The Club would like to place on record its thanks to the Fan Advisory Board and other fan groups for their submissions during this process, and to all Evertonians for their ongoing patience and unstinting support.

"The Club and its legal representatives have begun the preparations to appeal the Commission’s decision. No further comment will be made at this time."