From Everton's points deduction to West Ham's record fine: Premier League punishments in context as Man City await verdict

Manchester City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules and now face a wait to learn what punishment the independent commission will impose. As the scale of potential sanctions is debated, the league’s disciplinary history offers a useful benchmark.

Everton (2023–24)

Everton received the most high-profile recent punishment, initially docked 10 points for breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). That penalty was reduced to six points on appeal. The Toffees were then hit with a further two-point deduction later in the same season for a separate PSR violation — making them the first club to receive two such sanctions in a single campaign.

Nottingham Forest (2024)

Forest were deducted four points after the Premier League found them in breach of PSR rules, continuing the league’s increasingly assertive approach to financial compliance.

Portsmouth (2010)

Portsmouth became the first Premier League club to enter administration and were automatically docked nine points as a result. The penalty effectively sealed their relegation from the top flight at the end of that season.

Middlesbrough (1997)

One of the league’s earlier disciplinary cases saw Middlesbrough docked three points and fined £50,000 for failing to fulfil a scheduled fixture against Blackburn Rovers, citing a squad flu outbreak. The three-point deduction proved decisive: Middlesbrough finished the season two points below the relegation line and were sent down.

West Ham (2007)

West Ham escaped a points deduction but were handed a then-record £5.5 million fine for breaching third-party ownership rules in the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. The club later paid an additional settlement to Sheffield United, who argued the irregular registration of Tevez had directly contributed to their own relegation.

The European Super League founders (2021)

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham were collectively fined £22 million by the Premier League for their involvement in the failed European Super League breakaway. The league simultaneously introduced a rule stipulating that any future attempt to join an unauthorised competition would result in a 30-point deduction and a £25 million fine per club.

The breadth and severity of the charges against Manchester City — 115 in total, spanning alleged financial rule breaches across more than a decade — go well beyond anything previously adjudicated in English football. The commission’s eventual ruling is expected to set a significant precedent for how the Premier League enforces its financial regulations going forward.