Manchester City host Chelsea in a pivotal Premier League clash this Sunday, but fans will need to check their watches as the match kicks off at the highly unconventional time of 5:30pm.
Why the Unusual Kick-Off Time?
The strange scheduling is a direct result of the Premier League's congested festive calendar. The governing body is attempting to maximise recovery time for players between matches. This has created a domino effect across the entire Sunday fixture list for January 4, 2026.
It began with Leeds United's game against Liverpool on New Year's Day. Because they played on Thursday, their following match against Manchester United, selected for broadcast by TNT Sports, was scheduled for Sunday. To grant players a slightly longer rest, its start time was moved from 12pm to 12:30pm.
The Domino Effect on Fixtures
This initial shift caused a chain reaction. To prevent overlap with games originally slated for a 2pm start, four matches – Everton vs Brentford, Fulham vs Liverpool, Newcastle vs Crystal Palace, and Tottenham vs Sunderland – were all pushed back to 3pm.
Consequently, the marquee televised fixture between Manchester City and Chelsea, which would typically begin at 4:30pm on a Sunday, was moved a further hour later to its new slot of 5:30pm. This means none of the day's Premier League games will kick off at a traditional Sunday time.
High Stakes at the Etihad
The context makes the timing even more notable. City are desperate for a victory to keep pace with title rivals like Arsenal, who won dramatically the day before. For Chelsea, this is their first match since the departure of manager Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day, leaving the club in a state of flux.
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. Subscribers can also stream the action via the Sky Go app or on NOW TV.
