Manchester City vs Liverpool planned kick-off time BANNED by police due to safety concerns

The Premier League clash between Manchester City and Liverpool has been banned from kicking-off at 17:30 in November, a new report has revealed.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s respective Premier League title-chasing sides are expected to go head-to-head for the league crown once again this season, and are due to meet for the first time this campaign towards the end of next month.

The latest instalment of the rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool is due to take place at the Etihad Stadium, and will follow the third international break of the season when they meet after City’s clash with Chelsea prior to national team commitments.

However, as TV broadcasters and the Premier League themselves put together their final fixture allocations for the month of November and into December, new reports have highlighted police and safety advisory group intervention surrounding the meeting.

That is according to the information of MailSport’s Mike Keegan, who reports that Manchester City’s Premier League clash with rivals Liverpool has been banned from kicking off at 5:30PM on Saturday 25 November amid concerns over fan trouble.

The report details that the two Premier League giants were due to face each other at the Etihad Stadium in the late Saturday evening slot, with the contest broadcast live on Sky Sports.  

However, it is reported that the local safety advisory group – which includes the police – are ‘not expected to give permission’ for the fixture to take place in the evening following a number of issues at previous matches between the two clubs.

In a further damning detail concerning the fixture and the severity of the plans around it, Mike Keegan reports that ‘discussions remain ongoing’ over Liverpool’s ticket allocation for the fixture after it was cut for a previous meeting due to fan behaviour.

The clash against Liverpool will come at Manchester City’s most hectic time of the season so far, and will also be sat amongst a host of fixtures that will test Pep Guardiola’s side to their maximum capabilities, as well as their trophy-winning credentials.

After following meetings with Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United, and Chelsea, the clash against the Merseyside club will then precede a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur – who are in inspired form under back-to-back Premier League Manager of the Month Ange Postecoglou.

Those meetings all come in the Premier League, while Manchester City will also have to balance their UEFA Champions League commitments too, as they continue in their group stage campaign alongside RB Leipzig, Crvena zvezda, and BSC Young Boys.