Why is there no 12:30pm kick-off in the Premier League? Liverpool fixture move explained
Why is there no 12:30pm kick-off in the Premier League? Liverpool fixture move explained
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Why is there no 12:30pm kick-off in the Premier League? Liverpool fixture move explained

Nathan Ridley 🕒︎ 2025-11-01

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Why is there no 12:30pm kick-off in the Premier League? Liverpool fixture move explained

Football fans will have to be patient to get their feast of Premier League football on Saturday. That's because there's no 12:30pm kick-off taking place, a rare occurrence in the top flight. The first time that a ball will be kicked is 3pm, with five matches on show. Brighton host Leeds, Burnley welcome Arsenal , Brentford make the short trip to Crystal Palace , Wolves visit Fulham , and Manchester United head to Nottingham Forest . Then at 5:30pm, it's another all-London clash between Tottenham and Chelsea . The action isn't over there, though, as out-of-form Liverpool take on resurgent Aston Villa at the eyebrow-raising kick-off time of 8pm. It's the second weekend in a row that Liverpool are playing on Saturday at 8pm, after losing at Brentford last weekend , and fans will be asking the obvious question: why isn't that fixture in the 12:30pm slot? Mirror Football explains why. The decision to move Liverpool and Villa's clash to 8pm is partly because Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium is hosting the rugby league matchup between England and Australia . The rugby starts at 2:30pm, not far from Anfield. But that isn't the only reason. Liverpool played Palace in the Carabao Cup at 7:45pm on Wednesday, preventing them from playing until Saturday evening at the earliest. FIFA agreed a deal with the player unions over the summer to guarantee teams at least 72 hours' rest between kick-offs. This rule was also seen in Liverpool's schedule last week, as the Reds played Brentford away at 8pm after facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on the previous Wednesday. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp regularly complained about short turnarounds between games, particularly 12:30pm kick-offs. TNT Sports have the rights to that slot and Klopp even made a dig at the broadcaster in one of his final press conferences. Will Liverpool get back on track against Aston Villa? Give us your score prediction in the comments section . "I had a discussion only the other day with colleagues from our favourite TV channel which I will definitely not watch again, TNT," the German quipped. His successor Arne Slot doesn't seem as bothered, though, explaining when asked about them last season: "If 12:30 is a difficult time to perform then I'm a really stupid manager because we train every day at 12," he said. "I don't see the idea behind it being that difficult performing at that time." There's still action outside of the Premier League to fill fans' Saturday lunchtimes. In the Championship , Leicester host Blackburn Rovers at 12:30pm, with the game to be shown live on Sky Sports . That's not all either. In the FA Cup second round, National League South outfit Chelmsford City host Braintree Town - from one division above - at 12pm live on TNT. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

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