Everton have formally lodged an appeal against the two-point deduction handed down by the Premier League last week.

The Blues made clear that preparations to challenge the verdict, which imposed a second points sanction on the club this season, were underway in the immediate aftermath of that judgement.

A club statement read in part: “Everton can confirm that it has formally lodged its appeal of the two-point deduction imposed last week by a Premier League commission following a breach of the Profit and Sustainability rules in FY23.

“The Club will not be making any further comment at this time.”

The club had argued it should not receive any further deduction during this campaign during a three-day hearing in March. The Premier League argued for a five point penalty – an opinion the independent commission ruling on the case shared before it reduced it to two due to mitigating circumstances.

That punishment was revealed last Monday and took the total number of points removed from Everton for breaches of Premier League spending rules to eight. As a result, the club has been thrown into what this season’s performances suggest is an undeserved relegation battle.