Why is Sheffield United vs Man United kicking off at 8pm on Saturday?

Why is Sheffield United vs Man United kicking off at 8pm on Saturday? As Erik ten Hag’s side chase back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season

  • Manchester United vs Sheffield United will take place at 8pm on Saturday
  • The Red Devils come into the game off the back of a 2-1 win against Brentford  
  • Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United is scheduled to take place at an unusual time of 8pm this weekend.

Erik ten Hag’s side come into the fixture with the Blades off the back of a dramatic win over Brentford before the international break.

A late Scott McTominay double gave the Red Devils their fourth win of the season. The Manchester outfit currently sit 10th in the table – five points behind fourth place Liverpool.

As for this weekend’s opponents, Paul Heckingbottom’s side are yet to win a game this season and come into Saturday’s clash off a 3-1 defeat to Fulham.

Mail Sport breaks down why Sheffield United’s clash with Manchester United is kicking off at 8pm on Saturday.

Manchester United’s clash with Sheffield United will take place at an unusual time of 8pm

The Blades are currently bottom of the table and are yet to win a game in the league this season

Your browser does not support iframes.

Why is Sheffield United vs Manchester United at 8pm?

Manchester United’s clash with Sheffield United was due to take place on Sunday, October 22.

The game was supposed to be played on Sunday after it was picked for a Sky Sports live broadcast. However, the game was brought forward a day due to their Champions League commitments. 

Ten Hag’s side are scheduled to host FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday, October 24 at 8pm.

Premier League teams are not allowed to play on Sunday and then the following Tuesday due to the new rules. While the clash will now take place on Saturday, Sky Sports still have the right to broadcast the game.

Managers have hit back at the schedule over the years – particularly when their side are in European action the following week. 

This proved to be a major factor for the change when rearranging the fixtures.

There have been a few matches in the Premier League that have taken place at 8pm on Saturday this season. 

Manchester City’s showdown with Newcastle took place a few days after their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Sevilla, while United’s clash with Burnley took place on Saturday evening following their defeat to Bayern Munich.

United’s game with Sheffield United was move forward due to their involvement in the Champions League

The Red Devils come into the game off the back of a 2-1 win over Brentford before the international break

What’s been said?

Andrew Georgiou, President of Sports at Discovery gave his thoughts on the decision to have more Saturday 8pm games.

Speaking to the Times, Georgiou said: ‘We are happy to have the 12.30 kick-off that we purchased as part of the package but the reality is the clubs and the league have agreed that if there is a club playing in the Champions League on a Wednesday night they cannot play in the 12.30pm Saturday kick-off.

‘At 12.30pm on the Saturday, it’s perfect for us, it’s our time slot. Unfortunately the Premier League and the clubs have agreed that if that happens it can’t start at 12.30pm so we have to find another slot. I don’t think we can be asked to change our picks. What we have to do is find out the best time-slot to accommodate the club’s needs and our needs in terms of which matches we pick.

‘I don’t think we should be expected to change our picks on the basis of who is playing on a Wednesday night.’

Saturday’s clash between Sheffield United and Manchester United will take place at Bramall Lane

How to watch

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

Fans will also be able to live stream via Sky Go.

Mail Sport will be providing live coverage of Sheffield United’s showdown with Manchester United so you can keep up to date with all the action here. 

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Your browser does not support iframes.


Source: Read Full Article