Why Are This Weekend’s Premier League Kick-Off Times on Sunday So Unusual?

For those of you who highly value routine, prepare for an unexpected change this weekend regarding the Premier League fixtures.

Typically, most of Sunday’s matches begin at 2pm, followed by a highlighted game at 4:30pm.

However, this Sunday brings a twist, as five games will kick off at unusual times, with only the standard 4:30pm Chelsea vs Arsenal match remaining unchanged—there is also no Saturday lunchtime game this week.

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The Reason Behind Sunday’s Premier League Kick-offs at Noon and 2:05pm

The match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United will commence the day at noon, while Aston Villa vs Wolves, Nottingham Forest vs Brighton, and West Ham vs Liverpool will all start at 2:05pm.

But what’s behind these peculiar kick-off times?

In short, the unusual scheduling is a result of the Premier League’s efforts to accommodate a congested match calendar—especially for teams competing in Europe— along with broadcasters aiming to attract more viewers.

The Premier League ensures that clubs have at least 60 hours between games in all tournaments.

This meant that although Crystal Palace vs Manchester United was chosen by TNT Sports for a Saturday lunchtime game, it couldn't be played in that slot due to Palace's participation in the Conference League on Thursday night.

Consequently, TNT has opted out of their typical Saturday lunchtime match and agreed to show the game at midday on Sunday instead.

The three matches kicking off at 2:05pm are a direct result of the Palace vs Manchester United match being rescheduled to Sunday.

Sky Sports has the rights for the Sunday afternoon games but will be cautious of the possibility that the noon match could extend beyond 2pm.

To avoid this, the three games originally set for 2pm have all been rescheduled to begin five minutes later.