Liverpool and Manchester City meet at Anfield this afternoon in a blockbuster clash in the Premier League title race.
The hosts are currently one point behind the leaders Arsenal, who beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday night, while the reigning champions are one point further back in third.
The match has been hyped as potentially the final meeting between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola in English football, as their rivalry has defined the Premier League in recent years.
But fans tuning into the exciting title showdown will notice the game is starting at the unusual time of 3.45pm, instead of the traditional 4.30pm kick-off on a Sunday.
Why is Liverpool vs Man City starting at 3.45pm today?
Liverpool vs Manchester City will start at 3.45pm today because of the request from Merseyside Police and the safety advisory group.
The game has been moved forward by 45 minutes in an attempt to avoid some of the ugly scenes that have spoiled recent clashes between the two teams.
One of the most infamous and unpleasant incidents of the intense off-pitch rivalry saw Liverpool charged by UEFA after fans threw objects at Manchester City’s bus as it arrived at Anfield for a Champions League quarter-final clash in April 2018.
The crowd trouble in this match even led to Manchester City reducing Liverpool’s away allocation by 20% for the meeting at the Etihad last March.
This is the second weekend in a row that Manchester City have played in a game with a changed kick-off time.
Their derby clash with Manchester United at the Etihad last Sunday, which City won 3-1, kicked off at 3.30pm for the same reason.
As a result of the earlier start, Sky’s earlier game between Aston Villa and Tottenham will start at 1pm instead of the usual 2pm Super Sunday slot.
How to watch Liverpool vs Man City on TV and live stream
Liverpool vs Manchester City will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Coverage on both channels will begin at 3pm – or after the conclusion of Villa’s clash with Spurs.
Sky customers will be able to live stream the match with Sky Go, whilst those without a Sky Sports subscription can still catch the game by purchasing a NOW TV day pass.
