The team that has suffered the most this season should be the old Premier League club Everton.
On Monday local time, the Premier League officially announced that Everton was deducted 2 Premier League points again for violating the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
The official Premier League announcement sets out the reasons for the deduction: "Everton have admitted £16.6 million in breaches, as well as the potential mitigating factors and the impact of two successive charges on the club. After the hearing, the Independent Inquiry Committee found that the appropriate penalty was a deduction of 2 points, with immediate effect. ”
This is the second time this season that Everton have been penalised for PSR breaches. On November 17 last year, the Premier League officially determined that Everton had lost £124.5 million in the PSR calculation period, exceeding the allowable red line of £105 million, and decided to deduct 10 points from Everton.
Everton officially appealed, and in February, the independent commission reduced Everton's penalty from 10 to six, with the Toffees getting four back. Including the 2 points deducted this time, Everton have been deducted a total of 8 points this season.
After receiving the official Premier League penalty, Everton appealed in an official statement: "Everton is committed to cooperating in all matters relating to the PSR, but is deeply concerned about the inconsistent enforcement of the penalty of demerit points. This decision will be appealed by the club and its legal representatives. ”
After 31 rounds of the Premier League, Everton won 9, drew 8 and lost 14, and under normal circumstances, it should have 35 points, ranking 14th, and there is no big problem with relegation.
But after two points deductions, the Toffees are currently in 16th place with only 27 points, just two points above the relegation zone.
The first time Everton were deducted points dropped from 14th to second, level four points with bottom-placed Burnley. But Sean Dyche led Everton to a four-game winning streak, proving that the rotten ship still had three pounds.
However, Everton's current situation is not too optimistic, from 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur in December last year, after more than three months of 13 rounds of winless (6 draws, 7 defeats), until last week's 1-0 home to Burnley, only to achieve the first win in 14 rounds.
In fact, Everton have struggled to support themselves in the Premier League in recent seasons, fighting for relegation for several years. The club's finances are deteriorating and the transfer of shares is at a standstill, with Iranian-owned owner Moxley selling his 94% stake to US investment fund 777 Partners last September, but the deal has not yet gone through the regulatory process and is likely to be rejected by the Premier League.
That is, the competitiveness of the Premier League promotion horses this season is too weak, and Everton is still in the safe zone after being penalized, and there is a greater hope of relegation. In the history of the Premier League, Everton are the only six teams (Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton) to have played in all seasons and never been relegated.
In addition to Everton, Nottingham Forest was also deducted four points by the Premier League last month due to the excessive amount of losses. Forest is currently ranked 17th with 25 points.
Championship + four + European + relegation, the final round of Premier League suspense revealed?
Looking at the current Premier League standings, the competition between the major camps is quite fierce. First of all, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are only 1 point apart, and the top three have all taken turns to sit at the top of the table.
In terms of fighting for the fourth, Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, who have played one less game, have 60 points, considering that Tottenham will have to play against the top three in the championship, the two teams are also in suspense.
In the Europa League and UEFA Europa League, Manchester United, West Ham and Newcastle in 6th, 7th and 8th places have 49, 48 and 47 points respectively, and the rankings may change at any time.
In terms of relegation, although Burnley in 19th place and Sheffield United in bottom have little chance of survival, Luton Town in 18th place are level on points with Forest in 17th, only two points behind Everton in 16th. To a large extent, the suspense of relegation also exists because Everton and Forest were deducted points.
It is worth mentioning that Luton, who played in the Premier League for the first time, scored 45 goals in 32 rounds with the lowest budget and lowest value in the Premier League. This price-performance ratio has made Manchester United and Chelsea embarrassed. Whether they succeed in relegation or not, Luton Town will be a shining spot in the Premier League this season.