Liverpool vs Man United match to proceed at Anfield despite heavy snow and amber weather warning; big north-west showdown gets green light after passing two inspections

Liverpool and Manchester United will play at 4.30pm after all, officials have decided. 

The Premier League clash hung in the balance this morning after heavy overnight snow left the region under a Met Office amber weather warning. 

Liverpool City Council’s Safety Advisory Group held a meeting at 9am this morning and another one was organized shortly before midday to decide on the fixture.

Groundspeople have been racing to get the Anfield pitch ready after it was covered in a layer of snow. 

Amber warnings, while not as serious as red ones, indicate a possible risk to life and significant travel disruption. 

Images on social media showed snow blanketing the ground on the streets around Anfield this morning, with one fan claiming it looks ‘like Siberia’. 

Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United at Anfield will go ahead despite heavy snow

The streets around Anfield have been pictured covered in a layer of snow ahead of the clash

Liverpool City council’s Safety Advisory Group met after heavy snowfall around the stadium

Liverpool’s announcement read: ‘Today’s match against Manchester United will proceed as scheduled. Two safety meetings took place earlier to evaluate the weather and travel conditions.

‘We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in facilitating the realization of this game today. For those heading to Anfield, please exercise caution. We are excited to see you there.’

The Met Office’s north west weather forecast for the day was headlined ‘heavy snow, leading to some disruption’. 

It read: ‘Snow in the north and across the Pennines, which may be heavy in places through the morning and early afternoon. Turning to rain in southern areas with a risk of freezing rain for some. Snow will ease into this evening. Maximum temperature 2 °C.’

Taggy’s Bar, a Liverpool FC-themed outlet by the stadium, wrote on Instagram: ‘Snow is about two inches some places. It rains a little, but very cold rain so won’t take snow away most likely. My money is on postponement. Meeting at 9 I’ve been told.’

Liverpool City Council gritters made several outings in the last 24 hours in a bid to shore up the safety of the roads for travelling supporters. 

On Sunday morning, the runway at Liverpool John Lennon Airport was temporarily closed due to the conditions. Roads in the north west have also been closed due to the snow and collisions. 

Meanwhile, two Football League fixtures have been called off: Fleetwood vs Wimbledon and Chesterfield vs Gillingham.  

Arne Slot is looking to extend his side’s advantage at the top of the table to eight points

A pitch inspection took place after heavy snow overnight left Liverpool looking like ‘Siberia’

Some Manchester United fans were begging for the fixture to be called off on social media due to their torrid form leaving the odds heavily stacked against them. 

‘Safety first. That’s my motto. Better safe than sorry. That’s another. If there’s the slightest concern about the wellbeing of anyone involved – which there clearly is – best to postpone. Or even cancel altogether. Share the points. Everyone’s happy. And most importantly, everyone is safe,’ a prominent United fan wrote on Bluesky.

‘Honestly, it’s like Siberia out there this morning. People could lose their extremities to frostbite. Stop this madness now.’ 

‘Null and void the league?’ another joked. 

‘Worst snow we’ve ever seen, treacherous conditions right there, call it off,’ wrote fan channel The United Stand on X. 

In December, Liverpool’s clash with Everton was called off just four hours ahead of kick-off because of chaos caused by Storm Darragh. 

Storm Darragh wreaked havoc across the country with winds of up to 92mph causing travel chaos, damage and leaving thousands without power. 

Liverpool said the late postponement was due to ‘severe weather and high winds, which have also resulted in severe travel disruption in and around Merseyside’.

Ruben Amorim is looking to turn around his side’s form after five defeats in the last six league games

The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was postponed due to Storm Darragh last month

It is still not clear when the rescheduled Merseyside derby, the last at Goodison Park, will take place. 

Arne Slot’s side have a game in hand as a result of that postponement but will be keen to avoid another as they will not want the fixtures to pile up in 2025. 

Liverpool are five points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with two games in hand. 

Manchester United, meanwhile, are 14th in the table and have lost five of their last six league games.