Why is Man Utd vs Man City kicking off early? Reason behind unusual start time confirmed

The Manchester derby is set to take place this weekend, but there is an unusual kick-off time change.

Manchester United will host their local rivals at home on Sunday (October 29), where the game will commence at 3.30 pm.

However, the typical start time for a Sunday Premier League match is an hour later at 4.30 pm, leaving footy fans confused.

The reason behind the unusual kick-off time for has been explained.

Explaining the reasoning behind the unusual kick-off time, United wrote on their official website: “The derby with Manchester City will be staged towards the end of the month, with the Old Trafford encounter being moved to 29 October, kicking off at 15:30 GMT. The fixture, which we won 2-1 last season with Marcus Rashford netting a memorable winner, is to be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.

“The unusual start time was agreed following consultation between the clubs, the broadcaster and local authorities.”

City will head into the clash as the heavy favourites after United’s below-par start to the season.

Currently, Manchester City sit in second place in the Premier League table while Manchester United are in eighth place.

City have hit a tough spell after losing two in a row against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal.

However, the reigning champions bounced back with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ahead of the derby, United are in Champions League action against FC Copenhagen whilst City take on Swiss side Young Boys.