Man City-Liverpool rescheduled: Reds get another early kick-off after internationals

Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester City has been rescheduled to take place at 12.30pm on Saturday 25 November - the third consecutive time this season that the Reds must play the early kick-off following the international break.

The game at Etihad Stadium had been expected to take place at 5.30pm, but a local safety advisory group vetoed the timing and it has now been moved at the request of Greater Manchester Police.

The game will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports.

Three on the bounce

This will now be the third consecutive time this season that Jürgen Klopp's men must play the earliest possible fixture following a round of international games.

On Saturday 16 September, the Reds travelled to face Wolverhampton Wanderers after the first international break this season. After going behind in a disastrously lacklustre first half, the side raced to an eventual 3-1 win.

Liverpool will return from this current international break with a tricky fixture against Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield on Saturday 21 October, and must do so again in late November against title favourites Manchester City.

An incredible run

That said, this run of Saturday 12.30pm kick-offs is not just isolated to this season - it has endured for most of Klopp's reign as manager.

In fact, as pointed out by Paul Joyce, Liverpool have played the early kick-off immediately after an international break an incredible 14 times since Klopp took over in 2015. This is more than double the amount of Tottenham Hotspur, who sit second on this particular list with just six.

Very little recovery time

Liverpool's form in these early kick-offs has been particularly patchy.

During the 2015/16 season, the Reds managed to secure victory in four matches but suffered three losses - and the situation deteriorated in the subsequent campaign.

In the 2017/18 season, Liverpool could only muster one win out of eight early Saturday kick-offs. The 2021/22 season stands out as an exception, with the Reds triumphing in all four. However, the past season saw them struggle once again.

With international players travelling all over the globe - and especially key players such as Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez heading to South America - these early kick-offs provide very little recovery time.