Liverpool and Manchester City will face off in the Premier League on Sunday, March 10 in what is a potential title-deciding clash.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds sit atop the Premier League table ahead of Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions by a singe point. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are one point behind City, leaving the title race wide open as we enter the business end of the season.
Klopp and his side have already won one piece of silverware after they lifted the Carabao Cup last month. They continue to fight on four fronts as they’re also in the latter stages of the FA Cup and Europa League.
City, on the other hand, are looking to retain their title for a record-breaking fourth season in a row. A win at Anfield would be quite the statement and doing so would see them leapfrog their rivals in the table.
The Sporting News explains why the clash is set to kick off at a slightly unusual time on Sunday, outside the traditional slots.
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‘Super Sunday’ in the Premier League usually begins with games kicking off at 2 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), followed by the main header at 4:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. ET).
However, this weekend will see Liverpool vs Man City kick off at 3:45 p.m. local time (10:45 a.m. ET).
The decision to deviate from the standard kickoff times stems from a combination of factors, primarily concerns surrounding the risk of crowd trouble of the kind witnessed in past encounters.
The rivalry between Liverpool and Man City has intensified in recent years and at times, the on-field battles have spilt over into the public eye, leading to unsavoury scenes involving supporters, particularly outside the venues prior to matches.
Glass bottles have been launched at team buses and instances of vile chanting and vandalism have marred previous meetings, prompting authorities to take proactive measures.
In response to these issues, Merseyside Police recognised the potential for unrest and made a formal request to the Premier League to adjust the kickoff time.
Their objective is clear: to mitigate the risk of trouble both inside and outside the stadium, ensuring the safety of players, staff, and fans alike.
This move echoes a similar request made by Greater Manchester Police for the reverse fixture in November 2023, which saw the kickoff time shifted to an earlier slot to facilitate proper crowd-control measures.
This top-tier Premier League match will be televised in the United States on USA Network, which is available to view on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users. The match can also be streamed on Peacock or the NBC Sports app.
Additionally, it will be available to view in Spanish on Telemundo, which is also available to access via Fubo.
Meanwhile, in the UK, this match will be televised by Sky Sports across its regular family of platforms.