Man Utd vs Liverpool kick-off time delayed amid protests at Old Trafford

The Premier League have confirmed the clash between Manchester United and Liverpool has been delayed as a result of fan protests at Old Trafford.

The clubs were due to face off at 4.30pm but footage emerged shortly after 2pm that showed protesters invading the pitch.

Police and security took around an hour to clear the playing surface at Old Trafford but protesters continued to block entrance to the stadium, which meant players and staff from the clubs were still unable to enter with less than an hour to go before the originally scheduled kick-off time.

That led to doubts over the game's viability, but the Premier League initially insisted the match would go ahead as planned.

But they have now confirmed it will not kick off at 4.30pm as planned and will instead start later on Sunday evening.

They haven't confirmed exactly when the game is planned to go ahead and the clubs are still awaiting confirmation of a new kick-off time. Stan Collymore, though - who has bizarrely been the point man for the media on this one - claims that 6.30pm has been indicated as the 'aspirational' kick-off time.

Emergency meetings were held at Old Trafford as the protests hit their peak and club officials were initially unsure whether the game would be able to go ahead at all. There were reports that the groundsmen had inspected the pitch for damage, and found that broadcast cameras had been damaged during the protests.

There are also concerns over potential Covid-19 breaches given how many people had entered the stadium at once.

It is still far from certain if the game will go ahead but Sky are reporting that the stadium is now secure and the way is being cleared outside to ensure kick-off can go ahead later on Sunday.