FINAL Liverpool vs Man Utd postponement update as decision made
By
Max Persad
Max Persad
The Met Office has released a weather update which could have a big impact for Liverpool this weekend.
The Reds are set to face Man Utd at Anfield later today (Sunday January 5) at 4.30pm local time in the outstanding Premier League fixture of the week.
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Arne Slot's side are top of the table and head into the fixture five points clear of Arsenal with two games in hand over the Gunners.
Liverpool are still waiting to catch up their postponed Merseyside Derby against Everton, which was called off last month due to Storm Darragh.
UPDATE: 5th January 12:00pm
Game on! The reconvened Safety Advisory Group meeting has decided to let the game go ahead and Liverpool will face Manchester United at Anfield later today.
The Reds have a chance of going 8 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand.
UPDATE: 5th January 930am
Per the Liverpool Echo, the Safety Advisory Group has postponed their decision on this one. They're now planning to reconvene at 11:45am.
The feeling is that the weather could change quickly and they'll have a much better idea closer to noon. And so, we wait.
UPDATE: 5th January 9am
It’s the day of the game today and here’s the state of play: it snowed an incredible amount over night and Liverpool is covered in snow and ice.
A meeting of the Safety Advisory Group is set for this morning where it’ll be decided whether Liverpool vs Manchester United can go ahead. The pitch isn’t the question here but whether it’s safe for fans to travel to Anfield.
This same meeting happened before Everton vs Liverpool this season, where a decision was made to postpone the match because of high winds.
Weather concerns on Merseyside
And they have a chance to add another three points against the league's crisis club Manchester United, who are floundering despite the appointment of Ruben Amorim.
They have lost their last three games in a row, against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle, and will be fearful ahead of a trip to Anfield this weekend.
Under previous manager Erik ten Hag, they suffered a record 7-0 defeat back in March 2023, and head into this game in the kind of form which could see a repeat.
But there is concern on Merseyside that the game could yet fall victim to the weather with an Amber Snow Warning released by the Met Office.
Met Office issues Amber Warning
A statement from the Met Office reads as follows:
"Snow expected to lead to disruption during Sunday across northern England."
The warning includes: "Delays and cancellations to rail and air travel is expected," and "Travel delays on roads, stranding some vehicles and passengers."
Amber weather warnings will remain in place from 21:00 on Saturday, January 4 until 23:59 on Sunday, January 5.
It continues: “Snow will reach the south of the warning area later Saturday, then spread north across the rest of the area through Sunday morning. Snow will be persistent and heavy at times, and will likely drift in brisk easterly winds, especially over higher ground.
“Much of the warning area can expect 3-7 cm of snow. Areas above about 150 m will likely see 15-30 cm, with 40 cm for ground above 300 m, before snow begins to ease and clear by the end of Sunday.
"For some lower-lying areas, such as the Vale of York, snow may mix with rain at times making estimations of snow depths here more difficult. Regardless, travel will likely be difficult, with power line icing an additional impact.”
Safety meeting planned
And now it's been reported that the city council's Safety Advisory Group will convene on Sunday to assess whether the game can go ahead.
"Liverpool City council's Safety Advisory Group will hold a meeting tomorrow morning ahead of Liverpool's Premier League game against Manchester United at Anfield," writes news editor Alan Myers on X, formerly Twitter. "Heavy snow is expected to fall in the Liverpool area tonight and tomorrow morning."
Furthermore there could be an issue with a lack of gritting in the area with Anfield Watch learning that grit hasn't been pre-ordered by Liverpool City Council.
With wind calling off the Merseyside Derby against Everton in December, the elements are at it again and with the predicted snow and ice, it wouldn’t be surprising if the clubs are considering rearranging the fixture for a later date.
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