Everton currently sit 16th in the Premier League with an impending punishment due to a profit and sustainability breach. They could be in the relegation zone by the weekend if a deduction is handed out before then. This would be the club’s second punishment this season, being deducted six points after an appeal. But all is still to play for with eight games to go.
Can Everton Avoid Relegation?
Everton’s Possible Point Deduction
It is unclear how many points the Toffees may be deducted by an independent panel; the most likely scenario is between 4-6 points based on their first breach and the punishment set out for Nottingham Forest.
If the club were given a four-point penalty they would head into the weekend out of the relegation zone by only goal difference. If the harsher penalty of six points was handed down they would be only one point above Burnley, who they play on April 6.
Another unlikely scenario is that Everton can get the deduction suspended until the next campaign. This is in part because they have already been punished under the Premier League profit and sustainability rules this term. If this is the case the club would have some much-needed breathing room as they head into the end of the season.
Everton’s Run Home
Fate is in the hands of Everton. They play the four teams below them, three of the games at Goodison Park, in the last eight matchweeks. If Sean Dyche’s men are to survive, they need to get back to their best. Outside of their matches against Liverpool and Arsenal, all fixtures will be seen as a chance to gain three points.
40 points is often referred to as the amount needed to survive in the Premier League, but this season it looks as if 33-34 may even be enough. This means that they will likely only need three wins to guarantee safety. But the Gwaldy Street fans will want a little more comfort and not leave it to the last game day when they face the Gunners.
Everton’s Poor Form
The Toffees are winless in their last 13 premier league outings. But thanks to managing six draws as well as knocking four points off of their original ten-point deduction they have climbed the table in that time.
But amid their poor form, the teams below them have failed to capitalise. Only Burnley and Nottingham Forest picked up more points over the last ten games with seven and eight points gained respectively.
With a draw against Newcastle that included Dominic Calvert-Lewin returning to the scoresheet, fans will hope the tide has turned on this run of form.
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