Why does Man City vs Man Utd start at 3.30pm instead of 4.30pm?

MANCHESTER giants United and City are ready to do battle again in a Premier League blockbuster – but there has been a bizarre change to kick-off time.

The Red Devils will be determined to bounce back from their crushing injury-time defeat to Fulham last weekend.

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While United’s boisterous neighbors City will be hoping to keep up the pressure on league leaders Liverpool by keeping their 11-game unbeaten streak alive.

However, the players are forced to prepare for a slightly different kick-off time of 3:30 PM instead of 4:30 PM.

And SunSport can explain the reason for this.

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Why do Man City and Man Utd start at 3.30pm?

The mouth-watering Manchester derby has been moved from 4.30pm to 3.30pm following a reported agreement between broadcasters and police.

It also means that the previous clash that saw Bournemouth travel to Burnley will now start at 1pm instead of 2pm.

Both matches will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.

When is Man City vs Man Utd?

• Manchester City vs Manchester United takes place on Sunday March 3.
• Etihad is the designated arena for this huge match, seating approximately 53,400 passionate fans.
• Pep Guardiola’s men beat United 3-0 when the sides met earlier this season.
• Fans can follow SunSport’s live blog for minute-by-minute coverage.

Have games already been played at 3:30 PM?

The reverse fixture that saw Manchester City travel to Manchester United on October 28, 2023 was also contested with a 3:30 PM kick-off.

A statement on United’s official website previously read:

The derby with Manchester City will take place towards the end of the month, with the meeting at Old Trafford being moved to October 29 with kick-off at 3.30pm GMT.

“The match, which we won 2-1 last season with Marcus Rashford scoring a memorable winner, will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.

“The unusual start time has been agreed after consultation between the clubs, the broadcaster and local authorities.”