Chelsea's West London derby against Brentford is now scheduled for a 7pm kickoff this Sunday. The Premier League announced the revised start time in October after the match was initially slated for 3pm on Saturday. The new timing deviates from the typical late Sunday kickoffs of 4pm or 4:30pm.
Interestingly, despite being rescheduled outside the Saturday blackout period, the match has not been chosen for live television coverage in the UK. However, with the Blues aiming to strengthen their title bid—currently sitting four points behind league leaders Liverpool, who hold a game in hand following the postponement of the Merseyside Derby—the additional preparation time for their encounter with Thomas Frank's side will likely be a welcome advantage.
Chelsea's European Commitments the Reason for Change
Blues are in Conference League action this week
Chelsea celebrate against Tottenham after Cole Palmer's goal.
Due to Chelsea's participation in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, the date of their Brentford clash was forced to be moved. The Blues face a long trip to Kazakhstan to face Astana on Thursday night, with Maresca's side hoping to continue their 100% win rate in Europe's third-rate competition.
The west London side's match against the Kazakh side is set to kick off at 3:30 PM UK time, with the Blues embarking on a more than 7,000-mile round trip for the fixture before their match against Brentford. Typically, Sundays are dominated by Sky Sports’ Super Sunday lineup. This week, Brighton’s derby against Crystal Palace will air on Sky Sports Main Event at 2pm, followed by the Manchester derby at 4:30pm.
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TNT Sports usually broadcasts a Saturday 12:30pm fixture, but this weekend, they’ve chosen Tottenham’s visit to Southampton for live coverage. Due to Spurs’ involvement in the Europa League, however, the match has been moved to Sunday, too. The Saints-Tottenham clash couldn’t directly overlap with Sky Sports’ Sunday slots and wasn’t viable for the 12pm slot due to Spurs’ tight European schedule, as Ange Postecoglou’s side face Rangers in Glasgow on Thursday night.
As a result, the game was shifted to an unusual 7pm Sunday kickoff. Similarly, Chelsea’s match against Brentford was given the same start time for comparable scheduling reasons.