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Everton deducted 10 points in record-breaking punishment
Mikel Arteta has sympathised with his former club Everton after the Toffees were deducted 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). The Arsenal boss says he "feels very connected" with the club having plied his trade at Goodison Park for six years during his playing career and is confident they will find a way to survive after being plunged into the relegation zone.
Everton's deduction, which is the largest in Premier League history, was imposed with immediate effect after an independent commission determined that "Everton'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."
Last season, the Merseyside outfit escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth and will be forced to fight for survival once again after dropping from 14th place to 19th in the Premier League table. However, Arteta is confident Everton will find a way to escape the drop.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal's trip to Brentford on Saturday, he said: "I feel very connected to the club. "It’s a very difficult moment. It puts the club in very difficult positions. But they always find a way to get out. If there’s a quality that describes that club it’s their fight."
Mikel Arteta has backed Everton to survive (Image: Getty)
Despite their significant fall in the standings, Everton are still only two points away from safety heading into matchday 13. Sheffield United and Luton sit ahead of them by one and two points respectively while Burnley are rock bottom of the table on goal difference alone.
The Toffees face Manchester United on Sunday as they bid to rise up the table once again. Yet their financial woes may not end here.
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According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United, Burnley and Leicester City plan to sue Everton for £100million each - the figure they believe they lost by being relegated to the Championship.
Leeds and Leicester were relegated to the Championship last season just behind Everton while Burnley are said to be convinced that Everton's spending breached PSR rules the previous season when they were tumbling out of England's top-flight.