Why is Manchester City vs Liverpool kicking off at 12:30pm on a Saturday? This has very much been the main question on everybody’s lips this week, including Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. The German was not happy with the Premier League’s scheduling, with the huge clash coming straight after the last international break of the year.
The Reason Behind The 12:30pm Kick Off
A titanic Premier League clash between Manchester City and Liverpool would normally warrant either a 5:30pm kick off on a Saturday or the 4:30pm slot on the Sunday, but for the second consecutive season at the Etihad, the two teams will partake in the lunch time start.
The reasoning behind it is simply down to fears and concerns of crowd trouble. Which, when you run it back, is understandable. With that said, it is by no means directly condemning supporters of both clubs but there has been trouble flare up in the past so the local safety advisory group, which includes the local Manchester police, did not give permission for the match to go ahead at 5:30pm.
It's the biggest match of the Premier League season so far.
So why is Manchester City vs Liverpool kicking off at 12.30pm on Saturday?@KeiferMacD explains 👇https://t.co/DKyYGTv36m
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) November 21, 2023
The Change Of Broadcaster
Premier League and football fans will be more than aware that TNT Sports – formerly BT Sports – have had the rights to Saturday’s 12:30pm kick offs in England’s elite division. Sky Sports always had the rights to the 5:30pm kick off. However, this will not be the case at the Etihad.
Sky Sports originally had the rights to the game and although the kick off time has changed, themselves and TNT Sports have agreed to swap for this Saturday’s clash, which will more than likely confuse fans but it does appear to be a one-off. Brentford vs Arsenal will now be shown on TNT.
Manchester City In Champions League Action
Manchester City vs Liverpool does have all the makings to be a Super Sunday special, but with the Cityzens in UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday against Leipzig, it wouldn’t have allowed a sufficient amount of recovery time. This, coupled with the police concerns, is why the fixture will take place at lunch time on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp had originally blamed the league organisers, claiming they ‘cannot feel football.’ It’s easy to see why he originally thought this, but you’d have to imagine on the eve of the clash, Klopp can perhaps somewhat accept why the kick off time has changed.
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