Major Premier League decision change will impact Brighton, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Brentford

Everton have had their penalty for breaching Premier League financial rules reduced to six points following an appeal.

The Toffees – who drew 1-1 with Brighton last Saturday – were hit with a 10-point deduction last November after an independent commission found they had exceeded permitted losses under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) by £19.5million over an assessment period ending with the 2021-22 season.

An independent appeal board has now cut that by four points, which moves the club up from 21 to 25 points, pushing them up from 17th to 15th in the Premier League table.

They leapfrog Nottingham Forest and Brentford and moved five points clear of Luton, who are now four points adrift of safety in the final relegation place.

The club face a second PSR complaint for breaching rules over the assessment period running to the end of last season.

The complaint was laid on January 15 and under standard directions for PSR cases agreed by top-flight clubs last summer, the commission hearing in that case must conclude no later than 12 weeks after that complaint, which would be April 8.

Everton released a statement immediately after the Premier League had confirmed the revised sanction, which read: “While the club is still digesting the appeal board’s decision, we are satisfied our appeal has resulted in a reduction in the points sanction."