Liverpool have reportedly been banned from making a last-minute fixture change – and it could have a massive impact on the title race.
Arne Slot’s side are currently 12 points clear of second-place Arsenal with just nine Premier League fixtures to play this term.
And despite seemingly having one hand on the trophy, Liverpool are taking no chances and even attempted to bring forward one of their remaining fixtures.
The Reds’ opponents also “saw positives” in the idea of a switch as they play in the early kick-off the following Saturday.
The fixture in question is the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday 2 April, as reported by the Mail.
The report claimed that Liverpool were denied an attempt to bring the fixture forward by 24 hours to Tuesday 2 April, which would’ve benefitted Everton as they face Arsenal at Goodison Park on Saturday 5 April at 12:30 pm.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will travel to Craven Cottage where they will face Fulham on Sunday 6 April.
However, the request was rebuffed by the league as the original date for the derby did not cause either club to play another match within 60 hours.
This means Arsenal will have the chance to reduce the gap between them and Liverpool to nine points if they defeat Fulham at the Emirates on Tuesday, 1 April.
The last Merseyside derby ended in chaos (Credit:Getty)
The Merseyside derby will be broadcast live on Sky Sports with fans, no doubt, hoping for a spectacle similar to January’s 2-2 draw between the sides at Goodison Park – during which Everton captain James Tarkowski scored a last-gasp equaliser before both Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were shown second yellow cards by Michael Oliver following a tussle.
Soon after, both Slot and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, were also sent off after an exchange with referee Oliver.
The Anfield derby will be a more low-key event than the one in January, as the draw also happened to be the last-ever match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park due to the Toffees moving to their new stadium ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Nonetheless, tensions will no doubt be heightened by the events of the previous encounter.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Liverpool, Premier League, Arsenal, Everton
