Sheffield United relegation rivals handed huge points deduction in major Premier League twist

Sheffield United's bottom-of-the-table rivals Everton have been hit with a major blow just as they looked to be moving away from their relegation struggles.

The Toffees have been handed a ten point deduction after being found guilty of breaching Premier League profit and sustainability guidelines. As a result, they will drop from 14th in the table to 19th and into the relegation zone.

Everton's deduction will be immediate and will put them level on just four points with newly-promoted Burnley, who have lost 10 of their 12 matches since joining from the Championship.

The Merseyside club have responded to the news and are "both shocked and disappointed" by the verdict, which has been described as "wholly disproportionate and unjust." Everton plan on appealing against the ruling, which could be detrimental to their survival if it is not overturned.

This is the highest deduction in Premier League history and only two clubs before Everton have been docked points. Middlesbrough had three shaved off during the 1996/97 season for failing to fulfil a match, and Portsmouth were further punished for entering administration in 2010 — they were handed a nine point deduction.

The Premier League had recommended the record-breaking deduction for Everton, who admitted to being in breach of the profit and sustainability rules for the 2021/22 period. However, further investigation revealed the Blues had exceeded the loss threshold set by the Premier League.

An official statement from the Premier League said: "During the proceedings, the club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending season 2021-22 but the extent of the breach remained in dispute.

"Following a five-day hearing last month, the commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs."

Everton said they were “shocked and disappointed” by the sanction imposed by the commission.

“The club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction,” the Toffees statement read.

“The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.

“Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process.

“The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.

“Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.

“The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.”

Everton's drop will put Sheffield United in 18th place and fellow new boys Luton Town out of the bottom three.