Man Utd vs Liverpool kicks off earlier as Sky Sports choose different time (2024)

Manchester United and Liverpool face off in the Premier League today (September 1) but the kick off time is different to what fans are used to, and there's a good reason for it

Sky Sports' Super Sunday schedule has undergone a significant change this weekend as Manchester United and Liverpool go head-to-head. Erik ten Hag's Red Devils are set to clash with Arne Slot's Reds at Old Trafford today (September 1), in a game that is about more than just Premier League points.

The North-West Derby between Liverpool and United is one of the UK's most intense rivalries, fuelled by a deep-seated animosity between the two sets of supporters. While Super Sunday matches typically kick off at 2pm and 4.30pm, this weekend's heavyweight encounter will instead commence at 4pm – a decision reportedly influenced by a £7million agreement between the police and the Premier League to help curb crowd issues, according to the Daily Mail.

This adjustment allows the police to better manage fans who have been drinking throughout the day, as well as those who could instigate trouble if tensions escalate. The rescheduling of the United vs Liverpool match also affects the Newcastle vs Tottenham game, which will now start at 1.30pm to avoid overlapping with Sky's coverage from Old Trafford.

Police studies reportedly indicate that altering match times can effectively reduce misconduct at football games, and it isn't the first instance where a match between these fierce rivals has seen its kick-off time changed, reports the Mirror. At the close of the 2023/24 season, United and Liverpool squared off in the FA Cup quarter-final the tie was moved forward by an hour to the unusual time of 3.30pm.

And Greater Manchester Police have hailed the operation a success, with just eight arrests out of the 72,000 football fans in attendance. Chief Inspector Jamie Collins, Silver Commander for the match, at the time said: "I would like to thank the vast majority of supporters who came along to enjoy what turned out to be an intense game right to the very last minute.

"Thanks as well to all our officers and partners involved in the operation yesterday who contributed to what was a fantastic FA Cup tie. The arrests made were the result of us taking a proactive, zero-tolerance approach to ensure that genuine supporters and spectators were able to enjoy the match safely."

He further added: "I hope that these arrests will act as a deterrent to anyone attending future games."

In their past five encounters, United emerged victors twice, drew twice, and faced defeat once to Liverpool in the memorable 7-0 rout at Anfield during the 2022/23 Premier League season.

During that clash, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo all netted twice, with Roberto Firmino also contributing to the winning tally. Liverpool have been on a roll this season, kicking off with a 2-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road and then thrashing Brentford in front of the Anfield faithful last weekend.

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On the other hand, United's journey under Ten Hag has been less smooth. Their summer recruit Joshua Zirkzee secured them a 1-0 triumph over Fulham in their first match, but they faced a bitter 2-1 loss at the AMEX Stadium last weekend.

Danny Welbeck scored the opener against his former team in the first half before Amad levelled the game in the second. United nearly took the lead through Alejandro Garnacho's tap-in at the back post shortly after, but the goal was disallowed when the ball hit an offside Zirkzee on its way in.

In a heart-wrenching turn of events for United followers at the very end of the match, Brighton's Simon Adingra found Joao Pedro at the back post, who headed it in, leaving the Red Devils empty-handed.