Southampton vs Tottenham will kick off at the unusual time of 7pm on Sunday.
Usually the latest Sunday fixture kicks off at 4:30pm and is normally reserved for the biggest games of that weekend.
Spurs’ trip to St Mary’s was initially due to take place on Saturday at 12:30pm but was moved.
Even stranger still is that another Premier League game will take place at the same time, meaning a 7pm football double-header. But why has this happened?
Southampton Vs Tottenham: Why The Bizarre Kick-Off Time At 7pm?
The main reason the Southampton vs Tottenham kick-off time has been moved to 7pm on Sunday was because of Spurs’ involvement in Europe.
Spurs drew 1-1 with Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday. Their game at Ibrox meant the turnaround to midday on Saturday was too short and was moved back a day.
However, with Brighton’s derby clash with Crystal Palace taking place on Sky Sports at 2pm and the Manchester derby taking place at 4:30pm, Spurs were forced to play the unique kick-off time.
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TNT Sports usually hold the 12:30pm kick-off time on Saturdays, which was assigned for Tottenham‘s clash with Southampton. Instead, TNT Sports will broadcast the game at 7pm on Sunday.
Chelsea’s clash with Brentford can also not clash with the Manchester derby so was also moved to late on Sunday. Chelsea made a 7,000-mile round-trip to Kazakhstan for their Conference League clash with Astana.
The Blues walked away 3-1 winners in Altamy and have since returned to London after their mammoth away day.
Late Kick-Offs On Sundays Are Unpopular With Match-Goers
The decision to host games at 7pm on a Sunday has been criticised by The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).
“The Sunday evening kick-off slot is really unpopular with match-goers. Public transport options are limited and it’s no good for families with young kids,” a spokesperson for the FSA said.
“When the general slot was announced the Premier League told us it was a ‘contingency’. But it seems to be getting used an awful lot for such a provision.
“A big part of the problem is allowing broadcasters to choose ‘conditional’ picks which are then moved when a team progresses in Europe.
“The Premier League puts broadcasters first by allowing them to select such games knowing full well conditional picks are very likely to be rescheduled again.”
