February 19th, 3:00 PM
This was the traditional kickoff time of the Premier League. At the time, the league had yet to cater to the Asian market with earlier start times, but that change was inevitable. When it finally arrived, it would surely provoke backlash from local fans, as matches would begin right in the middle of their lunch hour.
For the 28th round of the Premier League, all ten matches were scheduled to kick off simultaneously.
In the previous round, Manchester City had fielded a mixed lineup of first-team regulars and reserves, yet still secured a convincing 3–0 victory over Chelsea. Now, however, the objective was very different. Today was not about rotation or experimentation—it was about sharpening form and confronting the league leaders: Manchester United.
