Liverpool's FA Cup clash with Accrington Stanley has kick-off time moved - Here's why
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The magic of the FA Cup will be in full swing at Anfield on Saturday as Premier League leaders Liverpool face League Two's Accrington Stanley in the third round. The potential for an upset sees ITV1 broadcasting the match live, offering viewers a chance to potentially witness one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history. If it happens. Which is unlikely. But if it does.
Liverpool supporters will be hoping for a smooth progression to the fourth round of course. But the unusual 12.15pm kick-off time, as opposed to the standard 12.30pm for early Saturday matches, has raised some eyebrows. This is due to a blend of maintaining one tradition while controversially scrapping another. For the first time in the competition's history, there will be no replays from the third round onwards, owing to the increasing intrusion of European football into the domestic schedule.
This means every match must be decided on the day (or night), through extra time or penalties if necessary. With the long-standing 3pm blackout still in place - prohibiting live broadcasts of games in England between 3pm and 5pm - Liverpool's match starts slightly earlier to accommodate the possibility of extra time and penalties concluding before the blackout period begins.
Liverpool's match is the earliest they've played since February 2022, when they hosted Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth round on a Sunday at noon. This was the first of several games broadcast live that day, reports the Liverpool Echo. Saturday marks only the second time Liverpool and Accrington Stanley have faced each other, with their previous encounter taking place in the FA Cup third round in 1956.
