Man City vs Manchester United fixture rearranged as Premier League issues apology

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Man United and Manchester City have both had games moved for TV coverage in September, including the Manchester derby at the Etihad.

The first derby of the season has been moved for TV coverage

The first Manchester derby of the season has been moved to Sunday, September 14, after it was switched for live TV coverage. The Etihad fixture will now kick-off at 4:30pm and be shown live on Sky Sports.

Derby dates are almost always switched to Sky's Super Sunday slot, and this one is no different. This fixture last season saw Manchester United score two late goals to beat Manchester City 2-1.

The fixture comes just before the start of the league phase of the Champions League, so Pep Guardiola's side will have an eye on who they face to get that competition underway. They will now be expected to play that game on Wednesday, September 17 or Thursday, September 18.

Both clubs have had other fixtures moved for TV selections during the month, with another blockbuster showdown for City also now in the 4:30pm Sunday slot.

That is their trip to the Emirates one week after the derby to face Arsenal (Sunday, September 21) in what is already shaping up to be a defining fixture in what will be a huge week for Guardiola's side.

United will also be on TV the weekend after the derby. Their Old Trafford clash with Chelsea will take place on Saturday, September 20, with a 5:30pm kick-off and live on Sky Sports.

Ruben Amorim's side travels to Brentford on the final weekend of the month. That fixture will be screened live on TNT Sports at 12:30pm on Saturday, September 27.

The TV selection for September had been due to be confirmed earlier in July, and the Premier League has explained the reason for the delay.

A spokesman said: "While our fixture announcement dates advised that September fixtures would be released on July 9, delays in local approvals for fixtures unfortunately meant only August fixtures were announced on this date.

"The Premier League would like to apologise for not being able to confirm these fixtures until now. However, today’s announcement is in line with our commitment to give at least six weeks’ notice for fixture announcements before January."