Points deduction: Luton Town and Burnley boost as Premier League confirm Nottingham Forest blow

Nottingham Forest’s hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League have taken a blow after their appeal against a four-point deduction was rejected.

The two-time European Cup winners were handed the sanction last month after they were found to have breached the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations after their losses surpassed the limit of £61m during the 2022/23 season. Despite seeing an initial punishment of a six-point deduction reduced to three after Forest were found to have made an early plea and co-operated with the investigation, the City Ground club still confirmed they would appeal the decision.

A statement released last month read: "Nottingham Forest can confirm that it has today lodged an appeal against the four-point sanction imposed by the Commission in relation to the Club’s breach of the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR). The club will not be making any further statement at this time."

However, the Premier League have now revealed their appeal has been dismissed after an independent commission upheld the initial sanction.

A statement read: “An independent Appeal Board has upheld the decision of a Commission to deduct four points from Nottingham Forest following an admitted breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The PSR sanction applied to the assessment period ending Season 2022/23 and was appealed by the club on two grounds.

The club argued that the independent Commission committed an error in not treating its sale of a high-profile player shortly after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it committed a further error in electing not to suspend some or all of the points deduction it imposed. Each of these grounds was rejected by the Appeal Board, which found the independent Commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did. The four-point deduction will therefore remain in place.”

The decision means Forest will remain just three points clear of the relegation zone with just two games remaining in the season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will host Chelsea in their final home game of the season on Saturday evening before bringing down the curtain on the season with a visit to fellow strugglers Burnley on Sunday week.