One upcoming Liverpool fixture may now be more susceptible to a change of date, if a precedent from last year is repeated.
The only one of the Reds’ six remaining matches this season which hasn’t had its date and time fully locked in is Aston Villa away, which is currently due to be played on Sunday 17 May at 3pm.
The final fixture details for the penultimate matchweek in the Premier League have yet to be confirmed, with either one or two games that weekend needing to be moved due to the FA Cup final, and our game at Villa Park is also liable to be rescheduled even though both teams are out of that competition.
Unai Emery’s side took a step closer to the Europa League final on Thursday night after thrashing Bologna 4-0, and a two-legged tie against Nottingham Forest now stands between them and a shot at a European trophy in Istanbul on 20 May.
That date falls just three days after they’re due to host Liverpool in the Premier League, and if Villa prevail in the all-English semi-final, a precedent from 2025 suggests that the domestic fixture could be brought forward.
Last year, on the weekend prior to the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, both teams had their top-flight matches moved from Sunday to Friday in order to maximise preparation time for the European showpiece in Bilbao (BBC Sport).
Ironically, Villa were one of the teams discommoded on that occasion as they were Spurs’ opponents, although Emery’s side won 2-0 in any case.
It’s become increasingly common for domestic leagues to move (or even postpone) fixtures for the benefit of their teams in Europe, and if the Villans make it to the Europa League final, it wouldn’t surprise us if their game against Liverpool is changed to Friday 15 May.
Of course, that has yet to be confirmed, but in ticketing information for away fans for the match at Villa Park, LFC have included the caveat that the ‘fixture date and kick off time [are] subject to change’.
For many Reds supporters planning to attend the game, moving it from Sunday afternoon to Friday night (it won’t be on Saturday 16th because of the FA Cup final taking priority on that date) would likely be an unwelcome development due to the increased likelihood of needing to book time off work, and the late arrival back on Merseyside if it’s a nighttime kick-off.
On the pitch, it’s conceivable that if Villa get to the Europa League final and have already confirmed a Champions League berth for next season by the time they face Liverpool, Emery might be inclined to rest some key players for the domestic fixture.
A final announcement on the date and time of that match will be eagerly anticipated – last year’s precedent would suggest that LFC fans would be wise to anticipate a potential Friday night rescheduling.
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