On Monday, Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest heard the news that Premier League relegation rivals Everton had seen their points deduction reduced from 10 points to six on appeal, shifting the landscape at the bottom of the table. With the Toffees’ points tally increasing from 21 to 25, Forest (on 24) have now dropped to 17th place, making them the immediate target for Luton Town in 18th.
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He failed to make an impact during his time at the City Ground.
More significantly, the league have charged Forest with breaching the Profit and Sustainability Rules in the period up to the end of last season. Everton have also been charged, and it remains to be seen whether they face a further penalty.
Forest deduction appears inevitable
Writing on X, The Times’ chief sports reporter Martyn Ziegler shared a bleak warning for Forest ahead of their disciplinary hearing at an independent commission early next month.
Ziegler says a “points deduction looks certain” for Nuno’s side, pointing to a paragraph in the Everton appeal ruling that says “any breach of rule E.51 [excessive losses] warrants a points deduction, and nothing less”.
Delay could hurt Forest
Let’s say based on precedent that Forest also lose six points for their alleged breach, then they would fall into the relegation zone, two below Luton, who retain a game in hand after the abandonment of their clash with Bournemouth in December.
How the Premier League table would look if Forest were deducted six points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Club | P | GD | PTS |
15 | Everton | 26 | -6 | 25 |
16 | Brentford | 26 | -11 | 25 |
17 | Luton Town | 25 | -16 | 20 |
18 | *Nottingham Forest | 26 | -14 | 18 |
19 | Burnley | 26 | -33 | 13 |
20 | Sheffield United | 26 | -44 | 13 |
However, the reality is that the table will look different by the time any such penalty is applied. Indeed, based on Ziegler’s report, it could be another six weeks before a verdict is reached. There’s a scenario where Forest only discover their fate with six league games to go, and then there’s the possibility of a challenge from the 2022 Championship play-off winners, just like we saw from Everton.
If you’re a Forest player or supporter, you just want clarity this point so you know where you stand – the delay feels like a punishment in itself. What’s abundantly clear, though, is that the Tricky Trees have a series of vital games on the horizon, travelling to Luton just before the international break and then hosting Crystal Palace. They will head to Goodison Park to face Everton before the end of April too.
Even if Forest avoid a deduction, which looks extremely unlikely at this point, these are arguably must-win fixtures to ensure survival. The message from Nuno to his players should be to focus on what they can control, starting with Saturday’s home game against Liverpool.
