'Premier League = corrupt' – Everton fans fly banner over Etihad during City vs Liverpool to protest against recent points deduction

Everton fans fly a banner over the Etihad during the Manchester City-Liverpool game to protest against their recent points deduction.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Everton fans have protested against their team's recent points deduction by flying a banner over the Etihad Stadium during Saturday's Premier League game between Manchester City and Liverpool.

The Toffees were hit with a 10-point deduction by the Premier League earlier this month for breaching financial rules, leaving Sean Dyche's side in the relegation zone with just four points from their 12 games.

Saturday's banner, which was organised by fan group The 1878s, read: "Premier League = corrupt" and was flown over the Etihad in the second half of the televised clash in Manchester.

Everton's sanction follows an alleged breach of the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules in 2021/22 and is the biggest in the competition's history.

The Toffees have described the sanction as "wholly disproportionate and unjust" and the Liverpool-based club are appealing against the punishment.

City's game against Liverpool was chosen as the champions have faced no punishment for the 115 alleged breaches of finance rules they were charged with earlier in 2023.

In the first half of Saturday's game, there was another banner flown over the Etihad, that one calling for the release of an activist from the United Arab Emirates.

Organised by Amnesty International, it read "UAE: Free Ahmed Mansoor".

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.