Why is there no 12:30pm Premier League kick-off this Saturday? Fixture schedule shuffle means fans must wait for action

Yesterday at 08:34 AM

Premier League fans will have to wait until 3pm to get their football fix this weekend, with no early kick-off scheduled on Saturday. 

There is a full fixture list of top-flight action planned for this weekend before the latest international break begins.  

But there has been an unusual change to the schedule as instead of a 12:30pm kick-off on Saturday, there will be an 8pm game instead. 

Here's why this is the case…

Why is there no 12:30pm kick-off? 

There isn't a lunchtime kick-off this Saturday due to no Premier League games being picked for broadcast in the slot. 

Usually, TNT Sports would show a game at 12:30pm on a Saturday.

However, that isn't happening this weekend, with TNT Sports instead choosing to show a game at 8pm. 

Liverpool vs Aston Villa is the match they will broadcast and it has been given the late slot. 

TNT Sports have moved their 12:30pm start to 8pm in the past too, with it usually occurring when the teams involved have played in Europe in midweek. 

And this is the case for Saturday, with both Liverpool and Aston Villa featuring in the Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. 

This is the second time this season that there hasn't been an early kick-off. 

Last month, the first games of the day were at 3pm on a Saturday and there wasn't even a late kick-off to make up for it. 

So the consolation for fans this weekend is that there will still be multiple televised games to watch. 

It's the 3pm kick-offs that will start the day and talkSPORT will keep you up to date. 

GameDay Live will have all the goals as they go in with your host Adrian Durham who will be joined by Troy Deeney and Dean Ashton. 

We will also have dedicated coverage of West Ham vs Everton on talkSPORT 2, with commentary coming from Ian Danter and Perry Groves. 

And then at 8pm, Liverpool vs Aston Villa will be live on talkSPORT with Sam Matterface and Stuart Pearce your commentators at Anfield. 

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. 

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.