Aston Villa and Liverpool face off at Villa Park on Wednesday in the Premier League - but why?
Arne Slot's men had played a game less than second-placed Arsenal just a few weeks ago but soon will have played a game more. The Reds have a chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to a whopping ten points in less than 24 hours time.
Villa still has hopes of a top-four finish this season, with Unai Emery's side currently 9th in the Premier League at present. The Villans are only six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with their now just 13 games to go this term.
Why are Aston Villa and Liverpool playing on Wednesday in the Premier League?
Fans have been left to ponder why the game is being played on a random Wednesday in February, especially given no other Premier League games are pencilled in.
Liverpool are also in the midst of a run of five Premier League games in 15 days, which has drawn further praise for manager Slot. The Merseysiders have still only lost just once so far this campaign.
The game between Liverpool and Aston Villa was originally scheduled for the weekend of March 15/16, but Liverpool's participation in the Carabao Cup final, against Newcastle United, on March 16 meant the game against the Villans had to be rearranged.
Villa officials were left frustrated by the Premier League's decision to reschedule the game against Liverpool for this week, with the Midlands club having requested for the game to be played later in the season.
It now means Emery's side will play a total of seven matches in all competitions during February, while the club is only scheduled to play one Premier League match during March.
“We were planning three weeks [of no midweek games], but we are only going to have two," Villa manager Emery said. “Why? Because the schedule doesn’t make sense. We have to accept it and it is not fair for us.
“We are going to play a lot of matches in a row in February and not many in March. Because we are in the Champions League and FA Cup, we have matches to play, but only one in the Premier League in March.
"It is not really fair for us. It is not our job. The responsibility is for the people who set the schedule. They need to be demanding and fair with their decisions."
How to watch Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Is Aston Villa vs Liverpool on TV?
Aston Villa vs Liverpool is being broadcast around the world on February 19, including in the UK, where TNT Sports and Discovery+ have full live coverage.
UK: You can watch Villa vs Liverpool on television on TNT Sports 2, or online on the Discovery+ streaming platform, which costs £30.99 a month. Coverage starts at 6.30pm GMT in both cases.
US: USA Network (available to stream through Sling Blue or Fubo)
Australia: Optus Sport
Canada: Fubo
Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN (70% off) to unblock your Aston Villa vs Liverpool live streams while abroad.
For a full list of Premier League broadcasters globally, check out our dedicated guide ► How to watch Premier League live streams from anywhere in the world in 2024/25
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