Explained: Why the Premier League changed Manchester United vs Everton kick-off time

Why the Premier League have given Manchester United against Everton a unique kick-off time amid Rúben Amorim’s first Old Trafford fixture in the competition.

Rúben Amorim takes charge of his second Premier League match as Manchester United‘s head coach this Sunday, with Everton visiting Old Trafford in a crucial encounter.

United’s first two matches under Amorim have seen a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town and a thrilling 3-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt, continuing the solid foundation laid by Ruud van Nistelrooy prior to his arrival.

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This game marks Amorim’s first Premier League appearance at Old Trafford, following his debut at the stadium on Thursday. With United looking to gain ground in the league, securing points is essential.

Currently, United sit 12th in the table with 16 points, trailing Arsenal and Chelsea by six points in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Unique kick-off time

While it’s expected that United will play most Premier League games on a Sunday afternoon for the foreseeable future due to their commitments in the Europa League, the kick-off time has baffled supporters.

United are playing Everton at home with a 1:30 pm GMT kick-off time, 30 minutes earlier than the usual first kick-off on a Sunday at 2 pm GMT.

According to talkSPORT, although no official reasoning was given for the decision, it’s likely that it was due to accommodate the Liverpool vs Manchester City title showdown later that afternoon.

The northern clubs play in a highly intriguing fixture. The visitors have not won for six games while Liverpool fly at the top of the table. Many feel that should City lose, they may be out of the title race.

The Merseyside Police have deemed the game a “high-risk” fixture due to fan safety concerns, and the tie has been moved from the usual 4:30 pm slot to 4 pm.

How to watch United vs Everton

In the United Kingdom, the game will not be available to watch live as Chelsea vs Aston Villa has been selected for TV coverage.

Although international coverage and live streams can be found here. There is radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The UtdDistrict X account will also cover the fixture, providing quotes from Amorim and the players before and after the match.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.