Chelsea s first round of Premier League battle with West Ham may be held one day ahead of schedule

July 3, according to the Daily Mail, the first round of the Premier League Chelsea match against West Ham was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, but it may be rescheduled to Friday. The proposal for the rescheduling was proposed by Sky Sports in the UK, which hopes to advance the high-profile London derby one day and broadcast the entire session that night to increase the ratings.

However, due to the long-standing hostility between the two teams and the game is in summer, there are concerns that later starts will give fans more time to gather in the bar, which may increase the risk of conflict. Nevertheless, London police expressed confidence in responding to the schedule adjustment and expected that the reschedule will be officially finalized after receiving support from other relevant parties.

At present, both clubs and Sky Sports declined to comment on the matter. A spokesman for the London Police Department said: "The Metropolitan Police Department works closely with partners and clubs to ensure the safety of residents of London and surrounding communities. We hope everyone can enjoy the game and will decisively deal with anyone who deliberately creates trouble." Last year, the Daily Mail disclosed that the Premier League paid millions of pounds to the police, which some people believe is a benefit fee, aiming to allow clubs to arrange high-risk matches such as derby during lucrative evening TV hours. At that time, the two sides reached an unconditional donation agreement of about £7 million, but the Premier League insisted that this was not a benefit fee.