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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Mark Jones

Why isn't Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest live on TV in the UK on Sunday afternoon?

Arsenal's quest to go back to the top of the Premier League on Sunday won't be shown live on television in the UK, and that seems set to catch plenty of fans out.

Mikel Arteta's side welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the match kicking off at 2pm GMT - with the clocks having gone back in the UK in the early hours of Sunday morning.

That 2pm Sunday slot has become a staple kick-off time in the Premier League, with fans used to a top-flight match being shown before a second one later in the day, usually a 4.30pm kick-off or sometimes 4.15pm.

Manchester United take on West Ham at 4.15pm at Old Trafford on Sunday, and while that match will be shown live on Sky Sports, the Arsenal vs Forest match will not.

Instead of broadcasting the match from the Emirates as part of their usual two-prong offering, Sky Sports will instead start their programme from Old Trafford at 3pm, with their Main Event channel broadcasting the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup match between India and South Africa between 10.30am and 3pm.

As is usually the case in the Premier League, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham are all playing on Sunday having played European matches on Thursday, with Arsenal and United involved in the Europa League and West Ham in the Europa Conference League.

Arsenal lost 2-0 at PSV Eindhoven on Thursday (ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

In previous weeks this season the trio have all played matches on Sundays while Sky Sports have chosen different matches to show live, but Manchester United's game at home to West Ham has been deemed to be a tasty enough prospect for Sky bosses this weekend.

The reason that Arsenal vs Forest has not, however, is due to a lack of available slots to screen games live.

In a typical Premier League weekend between four and five matches will be shown live in the UK - one on BT Sport, usually on Saturday lunchtime, and three or four on Sky Sports, potentially one on Saturday evening, two on Sunday, and one on either Friday night or Monday night.

Due to fixture congestion and European commitments this weekend Sky Sports only have four live games, and they had originally planned to show Liverpool's clash with Leeds at Anfield in the Sunday 2pm slot.

Arsenal's recent win at Leeds was another Sunday match not shown on TV in the UK (Action Images via Reuters)

But with Liverpool playing Napoli in their final Champions League group game on Tuesday, and having played away at Ajax in the same competition last Wednesday, their match at home to Jesse Marsch's side could only be played on Saturday this weekend.

With BT Sport showing Leicester vs Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime and Sky Sports screening Fulham vs Everton in their usual Saturday 5.30pm slot, that meant that the slightly unusual 7.45pm Saturday slot had to be created for Liverpool vs Leeds.

All of which means that despite being the only Premier League match on Sunday at 2pm, Arsenal vs Forest can't be shown by a UK broadcaster.

Meanwhile next weekend there will be no Saturday lunchtime match as BT Sport's choice, Chelsea vs Arsenal, kicks off at midday on Sunday after Arsenal have played FC Zurich in the Europa League on Thursday.

Chelsea vs Arsenal will be the first of three live games next Sunday, with Sky Sports showing Southampton vs Newcastle and Tottenham vs Liverpool.

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