Champions League Timing Cuts Premier League Sunday Slate to One Match

One Premier League match is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at 4:30 p.m., when Liverpool hosts Arsenal.

This is the second time since May 2024 that a Sunday during the Premier League season has featured a single game. The scarcity of fixtures stems from the European competition schedule. The Premier League initially planned two matches for that day in August. One was Aston Villa versus Fulham at 2:00 p.m., and the other was Liverpool versus Arsenal.

The European schedule was released after the domestic fixture list was finalized. It set a Champions League match between Barcelona and Aston Villa for Tuesday, November 3. League rules generally prevent teams from playing two matches within a 60-hour window. Because the Barcelona trip was scheduled for Tuesday, Villa could not play on Sunday. The Villa versus Fulham match was moved to Saturday, October 31, for an 8:00 p.m. kick-off.

Aston Villa drew that Saturday match 1-1. Nicolas Jackson scored for the home side at Villa Park, and Zion Suzuki recorded an own goal for the visitors. If the European fixture had been set for Wednesday, no domestic change would have been necessary.

Liverpool and Arsenal are also in European action next week, but their matches fall on Wednesday. Liverpool travels to Turkey to face Fenerbahce at 5:45 p.m. Arsenal plays Sparta Prague in Prague. Manchester United hosts Roma on Tuesday night, following their Saturday loss to Chelsea.

Arsenal needs one point in the upcoming match against Liverpool to take the top spot in the Premier League table. The league played eight matches on Saturday, October 31. Another fixture is scheduled for Monday night, when Newcastle hosts Everton.