Why Chelsea vs Brentford will be played in an unpopular 7pm Sunday Kick-Off

The Premier League will feature two unusual 7pm Sunday evening kick-offs this weekend, with Chelsea hosting Brentford and Tottenham travelling to Southampton.

Both matches were rescheduled due to Chelsea and Tottenham’s midweek European commitments on Thursday. However, the late Sunday slot has drawn criticism from supporters.

Chelsea successfully requested a later kick-off due to their demanding eight-hour, 3,700-mile journey back from Almaty, Kazakhstan, following their 3-1 Europa Conference League victory over Astana. The extra time allows Enzo Maresca’s side additional recovery before facing Brentford. Despite the travel, several key players, including Cole Palmer, were rested for the trip.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, who played Rangers at Ibrox in the Europa League on Thursday, ruled out the Premier League’s standard 12:30pm Saturday slot due to insufficient recovery time. With Sky Sports already airing matches at 2pm and 4:30pm on Sunday, TNT Sports was left with 12pm or 7pm as the only viable options.

The 7pm Sunday slot, initially introduced as a contingency measure during the 2020/21 Covid season to accommodate behind-closed-doors games, is now being used more frequently. The Football Supporters’ Association has expressed concern over the growing reliance on this timing, which many fans find inconvenient.

Both Chelsea and Tottenham’s logistical challenges have played a major role in this rare scheduling decision, highlighting the balancing act required to accommodate European fixtures and domestic league commitments.