Bizarre reason behind Manchester United’s FA Cup kick-off time vs Coventry City explained

The FA rescheduled the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Coventry City due to the Metropolitan Police’s intervention.

Manchester United secured a thrilling victory over Liverpool in the quarter-finals, earning their spot at Wembley for the third time under Erik ten Hag’s leadership as Amad Diallo‘s winning goal sent Old Trafford into delirium during the 4-3 victory.

Ten Hag’s squad aims to triumphantly return to the competition’s final stage after being disappointed in the previous FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Read More: Man United expected XI vs Coventry as Erik ten Hag takes FA Cup semi-final risk

However, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea, also contenders in the semi-finals, are challenging Pep Guardiola’s path to glory once again. The showdown between these two teams is set for Saturday, April 20th, at 5:15 p.m. (BST).

Meanwhile, the FA had initially planned Manchester United’s match against Coventry City for 4 p.m. the following day.

Why the FA changed Man United vs Coventry kick-off time

Following discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the FA agreed to reschedule the game to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. This decision stemmed from concerns about the fixture’s security, deemed a “high-risk” encounter according to MailOnline reports – this ‘raised eyebrows’ at Wembley.

Sources from both the FA and EFL expressed frustration over what appeared to be a shift in the Metropolitan Police’s policy in the past year.

This sentiment was particularly evident when the EFL had to move the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea forward to 3 p.m. in February, a decision that left them “furious”.