Welcome to coverage of the second Premier League investigation into Everton for breaches of its Profit and Sustainability regulations, this one covering the three seasons up to and including 2022-23 following their 10-point penalty, subsequently reduced to six, for overspending in the three seasons up to 2021-22. Nottingham Forest have already been docked four points for breaches during their first season back in the Premier League, making this the first time two top-flight clubs have been sanctioned in the same season. In fact there have been only two other cases of points deductions being applied in the Premier League, Middlesbrough’s three for not fulfilling a fixture that led to their relegation in 1996-97, and Porstmouth’s nine for going into administration in 2010.
Having dealt with Everton and Nottingham Forest so swiftly, the elephant in the room for the Premier League remains the 115 charges the governing body has levied at Manchester City for alleged breaches of financial fair play regulations between 2009 and 2018. Indeed the Everton manager, Sean Dyche, argued that it was not just a case of double standards but centuple et quindecuple standards: ““Just like everyone else, we are all wondering what makes one rule for one and one rule for the other. I think that’s the only thing,” said Dyche.
“I don’t know the ins and outs for every reason, but I think we are all asking that. The people in the street are asking: ‘Why is it particularly Everton?’
“I don’t know what the exact number is, but they reference over 100 charges [for City]. I don’t know the implications of that either. I don’t know the details of the charges but you go: ‘Well, we have one.’
Put simply,as Chris Bascombe explais, the Premier League argues that it is “because of the depth, scale and complexity of the 115 charges against Manchester City when compared to the single charge against Everton. The Premier League says that logistically the City case is inevitably more time-consuming. Everton argue this is an unreasonable explanation and believe they opened themselves up to speedier and politically motivated punishment by being cooperative and compliant.