da premier bet： Pep Guardiola's side have had the upper hand over the Red Devils in recent clashes. But why is Sunday's derby being played at an unorthodox time?
da jogodeouro： Manchester will come to a standstill when City host United in Sunday's derby and the world will be watching too. Pep Guardiola's side have won three of the last derbies, including last year's all-Manchester FA Cup final, and will be favourites to maintain their recent dominance in the fixture as they are currently 15 points ahead of United in the table.
It is another key match in the Premier League title race for City, who are second in the table, trailing leaders Liverpool by one point and leading third-placed Arsenal by one point. And the Cityzens will be especially keen to win and stay in touch with the Merseysiders as they face them the following week at Anfield.
United's hopes of gate-crashing the top four and returning to the Champions League are fading fast after their surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham and another loss at the Etihad Stadium could deal a near-fatal blow to their chances of catching Aston Villa.
However, the game will be kicking off at unusual time. GOAL explains why…
(C)Getty ImagesWhat time does Man City vs Man Utd kick off?Date:March 3, 2024Kick-off time:3:30pm GMTVenue:Etihad Stadium
The upcoming Manchester derby between Manchester City and Manchester United is scheduled to be played on Sunday March 3.
It will kick off at the earlier time of 3:30pm in the United Kingdom, which means an early start of 10:30am ET (5:30am PT) for fans based in the United States.
AdvertisementGettyWhy does the Manchester derby have an earlier kick off time?
Premier League matches on a Sunday usually kick off at 2pm or 4:30pm. However, the Manchester derby will be played at the unorthodox time of 3:30pm.
The decision to kick off one hour earlier than usual follows an agreement between police and broadcasters.
The favoured slot for Premier League rights-holder Sky Sports is 4:30pm but that is deemed to be too risky a time for a game of such magnitude, when it is felt that there is a greater risk of crowd trouble.
Therefore, the 3:30pm time slot is a compromise between local authorities and broadcasters, meaning there is less time for trouble to brew between rival supporters.
GettyWhich TV channel is Man City vs Man Utd on?
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Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the Manchester derby on television on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. It can also be streamed live online using the Sky GO app service.
In the United States, the game will be available to watch live exclusively on Peacock.
Watch Man City vs Man Utd on Sky SportsSubscribe nowWatch Man City vs Man Utd on PeacockSubscribe nowLive football on UK TV this weekLive soccer on U.S. TV this weekGettyHave other games been played at 3:30pm?
The last Manchester derby, at Old Trafford on October 29, 2023 was the first match to be played on a Sunday at 3:30pm.
United said at the time: "The unusual start time was agreed following consultation between the clubs, the broadcaster and local authorities."
City ended up easing to a 3-0 victory, with Erling Haaland scoring twice and Phil Foden also netting.