Aston Villa’s Premier League clash with Liverpool has been confirmed for 12:30pm on Sunday 17 May, but could move again.
- The fixture has been brought forward from the original 3pm kick-off for Sky Sports coverage
- If Villa reach the Europa League final, the game moves to Friday 15 May at 8pm
- Both clubs are level on points separated only by goal difference with Liverpool above in fourth
- The Europa League final in Istanbul is scheduled for Wednesday 20 May
The confirmed details. For now
Television coverage has brought forward Aston Villa’s final home Premier League game of the season against Liverpool.
The fixture at Villa Park on Sunday 17 May will now kick off at 12:30pm rather than the original 3pm slot, live on Sky Sports.
The FA Cup final’s scheduling for the Saturday of that same weekend pushes Premier League fixtures back by 24 hours across the board.
However, every detail above has a significant caveat attached to it.
Should Villa overcome Nottingham Forest across both semi-final legs and reach the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday 20 May, the Liverpool fixture will move forward two days becoming a Friday night showdown on 15 May at 8pm.
Sky Sports will broadcast the game regardless of which scenario ultimately materialises.
A fixture with enormous title race implications
This announcement carries significant timing. Villa and Liverpool are currently level on points in the Premier League table, separated only by goal difference, with Arne Slot’s side sitting just above in fourth.
The Fulham defeat last weekend allowed the Reds to move ahead and Sunday’s clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford could further alter the landscape before Villa host Tottenham on Sunday evening.
A direct head-to-head between the two clubs on the final weekend of the campaign, with Champions League qualification potentially still unresolved, represents one of the most compelling Premier League conclusions in recent seasons.
Both clubs will be acutely aware that the result could determine which of them plays in Europe’s elite competition next season.
The Europa League variable: Istanbul changes everything
The most fascinating element of this scheduling story is the Europa League dimension.
If Emery’s side progress past Forest the Liverpool game becomes a Friday night kick-off, just five days before the Istanbul final.
That scenario would create one of the most extraordinary weeks in Aston Villa’s modern history. A Champions League qualification decider followed by a European final within the same seven-day period.
Emery has consistently stated that the Premier League remains his primary focus.
However, the possibility of both objectives converging simultaneously in the season’s final fortnight adds a dramatic dimension that the entire football world will be watching closely.
