The kick-off time of the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea has been changed to 3pm.
The Premier League giants will lock horns at Wembley Stadium on Sunday February 25 as they look to win the first major honour of the season
However, fans attending the final will have to arrive earlier than anticipated with kick-off to happen at 3pm instead of the originally scheduled 4:30pm.
An EFL spokesperson said: “Following representations from the Metropolitan Police UK, the local safety advisory group has determined the 2024 Carabao Cup final will now kick-off at 3pm.
“Having previously scheduled the usual 4:30pm kick off time with Wembley Stadium and Sky Sports, it is disappointing to note the change at this late stage.”
It’s said the reason for the match beginning earlier in the day was due to the high-risk nature of the fixture.
Police are understood to have requested that the game kicked off no later than 3pm on public order grounds with fears over fan clashes sparked by all-day drinking in the capital.
Last season’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City was brought forward to a 3pm kick-off having initially been scheduled for a 5:30pm start.
The showpiece event is a repeat of the 2022 final which Liverpool won 11-10 on penalties after the Reds and the Blues played out a nerve-jangling goalless draw after extra time.
Liverpool sealed their place in the final as they edged past Fulham 3-2 on aggregate in their semi-final tie. Jurgen Klopp’s side have also beaten West Ham, Bournemouth and Leicester en route to Wembley.
As for Chelsea they smashed Middlesbrough 6-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals and also got the better of Newcastle, Blackburn Rovers and Brighton earlier in the competition this term.
