Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final against Coventry has been rescheduled due to being deemed a ‘high-risk’ fixture.

The FA has had to reschedule the kick-off time for the upcoming FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Coventry due to a ‘high-risk’ designation by the Metropolitan Police.

Manchester United vs Coventry , originally planned for Sunday, April 21 at Wembley, was requested by the FA to kick off at 4pm but will now start at the unusual time of 3:30pm.

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Townflex Sport has discovered that the match is now scheduled to start at 3:30pm on Sunday, April 21, with Manchester City vs. Chelsea kicking off at 5:15pm the day before.

However, following discussions with the Met and their concerns about public order, the FA has agreed to an earlier start time.

The change follows discussions with the Metropolitan Police, who have cited public order concerns as the reason for the earlier start time.

The decision is likely to cause frustration for the FA and broadcasters, including the BBC and ITV, as later kick-off times tend to attract larger television audiences and advertising revenue, making evening games increasingly popular.

A change in policy from the Metropolitan Police in the last year has resulted in games involving Manchester United or Liverpool being categorized as high-risk, leading to frustration from the FA and EFL.

Last month, the EFL was incensed by the need to reschedule the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea to 3pm. Similarly, the Metropolitan Police’s decision to label the United vs. Coventry match as high-risk has caused surprise at Wembley.

Last year, the FA had to move the Manchester United vs. Manchester City final to 3pm due to public order concerns raised by the Met.

There is a growing acceptance that this season’s final on May 25th at Wembley will also require an earlier kick-off.

This potential change poses a dilemma for ITV, which had already planned to broadcast rugby’s Investec Champions Cup final on the same day with a 2:45pm kickoff.

Favorites and Underdogs: The FA Cup Semifinal Showdowns

City, who secured a 2-1 victory against United in last year’s final, are the reigning champions and are favored to win their semi-final against Chelsea as they aim for another historic treble.

United, on the other hand, are expected to win their semi-final after a thrilling quarter-final triumph over Liverpool, where they clinched a 4-3 victory in extra time.

Manchester United vs Coventry FA Cup Semifinal Moved to Unusual Kick-Off Time

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In a surprising turn, Championship side Coventry could be a dark horse after defeating Wolves 3-2 to secure their spot at Wembley.

This is only the second time Coventry has reached the FA Cup semi-finals, having previously won the tournament in 1987.

Coventry manager Mark Robins, a former FA Cup winner with Manchester United in 1990, is eagerly anticipating facing his old club. “I honestly think that the teams that are left are just top, top sides, but my preference was United,” he told Coventry Live.

“At one point it looked like Liverpool were going to go through but then it just turned on its head. Obviously, I wanted United to win the game and then we got drawn out first and they followed us out, so perfect!

“But it would be a great game whichever team you pull out. They have got top players and individuals but it’s a game we can look forward to.”

“It’s a Wembley trip and it’s brilliant for the supporters, the players and the staff and everyone involved, and we can go and have a go at Wembley against a top team with a top manager.”

“They’ll be expected to win, 100 per cent, and we want to try and go and give a really good account of ourselves again, and enjoy it. At the end of the day, it’s a fantastic achievement just to get to this stage but it’s one of those things where you don’t want to just go and makeup the numbers.”

The winner of the Manchester United vs Coventry match will face the winners of the Manchester City vs Chelsea match in this year’s FA Cup final.