Premier League: Why is there no fixture on Sunday at 2pm?

Unlike many Premier League weekends this season, there will be no 14:00 GMT kick-off this Sunday.

The time slot is one of the most frequently used in a typical Premier League weekend programme.

There is usually at least one match at 14:00 each Sunday – and this season there have at times been more, which is a knock-on effect of four Premier League clubs competing in the Europa League and Conference League on a Thursday evening.

Last weekend, four matches were played early on Sunday, and only two fixtures kicked off in the traditional Saturday 15:00 slot.

In contrast, this weekend will feature five games at 15:00 on Saturday, and only one on Sunday – Liverpool taking on Arsenal at 16:30.

There will also be kick-offs at 12:30, 17:30 and 20:00 on Saturday, and finally at 20:00 on Monday.

The absence of an early Sunday game is because of Aston Villa’s involvement in this season’s Champions League.

Villa’s meeting with Fulham at Villa Park was the designated 14:00 match for Sunday afternoon.

But because Unai Emery’s Villa side have a Champions League match at Barcelona two days later – on Tuesday, 3 November – the Fulham game has been brought forward to 20:00 on Saturday.

As Sky Sports was due to show the match in its initial slot, the broadcaster will also show the rearranged game.