Why is Liverpool vs Leeds being played at 7:45pm on Saturday?

Liverpool vs Leeds United kicks off at Anfield on Saturday, for the unconventional kick-off time of 7:45pm.

Both clubs are in desperate need of a win: Liverpool to put a disappointing defeat to Nottingham Forest behind them and to stay in touching distance of the top four, while Leeds are without a league victory since beating Chelsea in August and are precariously sat in the relegation zone.

But why is the game being played at 7:45pm on a Saturday?

Liverpool vs Leeds: Why the game is kicking off so late on Saturday

A ruling introduced last season by the Premier League states that the earliest clubs can play on a Saturday, after playing a game on a Wednesday, is 3pm. With Liverpool having played against Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday night, the earliest they can therefore play Leeds is at 3pm on Saturday.

However, Liverpool are also playing Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday, meaning they are unable to play on Sunday because there is also not enough rest days in between those fixtures under the Premier League's rules. 

Consequently, the only regular time slot Liverpool are available to play this weekend is at 3pm or 5:30pm on Saturday. Sky Sports have chosen Liverpool vs Leeds, though, with Fulham vs Everton already selected as the 5:30pm kick-off. This means, in order for Sky Sports to still broadcast the game, Liverpool's game against Leeds has been moved to the unconventional but permitted time of 7:45pm. 

This isn't the first time this season an irregular match time has been chosen, either. 

Manchester United faced Everton earlier in October at 7pm on a Sunday, because BT Sport had selected the game as its one televised Premier League fixture for the weekend.

However, Manchester United had played on Thursday in the Europa League, and therefore couldn't fulfil the game at BT Sport's regular lunchtime kick-off on a Saturday. Therefore, the broadcaster switched the time to 7pm on a Sunday instead.

The 7:45pm kick off will happen again, too, when Arsenal travel to Wolves on Saturday 12 November, due to a Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton on the Wednesday before.