Why Liverpool vs Man City will kick off at 3:45pm in unusual Premier League slot

The blockbuster Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester City will kick off earlier than expected on Sunday.

The change aims to avoid the unpleasant scenes that have marred recent meetings between the two teams. Liverpool and City have been major rivals on the pitch during Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola's time as managers.

During some intense battles in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, there have also been incidents of damage to buses, missiles thrown injuring children and disaster chanting. Originally, the showdown on March 10 was scheduled for 4.30pm as Sky Sports' main game of the day.

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With just a point separating the teams in the table and a win for either side sending them top of the league, this fixture at Anfield could be crucial in deciding the title race. However, at the request of Merseyside Police and the safety advisory group, the kick-off time has been moved to an unusual 3.45pm slot to ensure the event runs as smoothly as possible.

Similarly, the Manchester derby between City and Manchester United was brought forward to 3.30pm earlier in the season, and the reverse fixture will also start at 3.30pm the week before City's trip to Anfield. Guardiola is hoping his team can better their poor record at the ground.

The City manager's only win there with the club was in 2021 when there were no fans in the stadium, and last season his antics playing up to the crowd only stirred up an atmosphere that ultimately saw another Liverpool victory.