“If there’s a quality that describes that club it’s their fight” - Arsenal coach Arteta on former club Everton being punished with points deduction
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that it was difficult to hear about Everton's point deduction. He has backed them to fight back and survive relegation from the Premier League.
Arteta was talking to the media on Friday ahead of their league clash against Brentford when he was asked about his former club. He admitted that he still feels connected with the Toffees and said:
"I feel very connected to the club. It's a very difficult moment. It puts the club in very difficult positions. They always find a way to get out. If there's a quality that describes that club it's their fight."
The Toffees were handed a 10-point deduction earlier this month and have now been pushed into the relegation zone. Sean Dyche's side are 19th in the table right now and can jump out if they manage a win over Manchester United this weekend.
Everton express shock and disappointment at 10-point deduction
Everton were furious with the decision from the independent commission to hand them a 10-point deduction for one FFP breach. They released a statement on the club website which read:
"Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission. The Club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction. The Club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The Club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted."
The Toffees added that they will be keeping a close eye on how the commission handle other financial breach cases:
"The Club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules. Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded."
The Merseyside club have done well this season and have won four of their 12 matches. They were 12th in the table but are now pushed to 19th, sitting a place above Burnley because of goal difference.