Why Fulham vs Manchester United is a 7pm kick-off today?

Manchester United are back in Premier League action tonight when they face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The match at Craven Cottage has been selected for TV coverage by TNT Sports, which is usually reserved for the 12.30pm kick-off slot on a Saturday.

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But because of United’s participation in the Europa League this week, the date of their clash against Fulham has been pushed back a day.

The kick-off time has been altered too. Manchester United are usually in the 2pm or 4.30pm slot on a Sunday, which has been the case all season following their European fixtures on a Thursday.

Instead they are in the rather unusual 7pm GMT timeslot tonight.

The game cannot clash with the two Sky Sports games on Sunday. Sky are showing Crystal Palace vs Brentford at 2pm, followed by Aston Villa vs West Ham from Villa Park at 4.30pm.

The later kick-off time also gives Ruben Amorim's side extra recovery time after their exploits in Europe against Rangers on Thursday.

Subsequently, the Fulham vs Manchester United game has been given a 7pm kick-off in west London.

The unusual kick-off time has been heavily criticised by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

“The Sunday evening kick-off slot is really unpopular with match-goers as public transport options are limited and it’s no good for families with young kids,’ a spokesperson for the FSA said in a statement to the Times.

“When the general slot was announced the Premier League told us it was a ‘contingency’ - but it seems to be getting used an awful lot for such a provision.

“A big part of the problem is allowing broadcasters to choose ‘conditional’ picks which are then moved when a team progresses in Europe.

“The Premier League puts broadcasters first by allowing them to select such games knowing full well conditional picks are very likely to be rescheduled again.”