Although today is set to be dominated by a relegation rival, Everton will still watch Nottingham Forest’s PSR outcome with interest.
After all, not only will it set a precedent for their upcoming second battle with the Premier League and their independent commission, but it will also outline just how impactful their earlier points deduction proved to be.
This time around though, with the experience gained from the first gruelling trial, they are expected to be in a far stronger position.
That is, at least what one report is claiming.
Everton set to have a ‘stronger’ argument against the Premier League
Writing for the Liverpool ECHO, journalist Joe Thomas has sought to offer an update on Everton’s second and imminent PSR case.
Having navigated the first with considerable caution, this second one will likely be a far easier process given it is waters that the club have already waded into.
They are entering familiar territory, which is quite sad really, but it will certainly be useful on this occasion.
Especially given the ‘stronger’ argument they are reportedly set to boast.
The report notes: ‘How that case will play out is tough to read, with the club likely to be in a stronger position to argue some points that were dismissed in the first case, including the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on sponsorship ties. The first case centred on a deal the independent commission, and an appeal board, ruled had not advanced enough to take into account.
‘But the new case will include the first set of accounts that will show the loss of sponsorship money from deals that were already in effect and which were suspended by the club. The extent to which any second breach was influenced by the first, which the club has already been punished for, is also set to be a cornerstone of legal arguments.’
Could Everton get another points deduction?
There is every chance that Everton could suffer another points deduction despite having already been punished in that fashion earlier in the season.
After all, whilst the double jeopardy rule will be somewhat in effect, that will not excuse the latest year of the three-year rolling period in question. So, they will certainly face punishment for that spell.
However, any decision made will likely be reduced by two-thirds, aligned with the fact that two of the three years have already been tried.
Forest are a unique case, and they will almost certainly be handed a points penalty after the precedent that Everton’s ten-point deduction set (it was later reduced to six points).
So, at the very least the Tricky Trees will see their league position plummet far more dramatically than the Toffees, who too will likely suffer a one or two-point sanction based on earlier outcomes.