The Premier League has released the fixture schedule for the 2026/27 season, with champions Arsenal set to begin their title defence against newly promoted Coventry City.
The opening match will take place at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21, with kick-off fixed for 8pm.
Arsenal, who won the Premier League title last season, will welcome Coventry City back to the top flight in what is expected to be an emotional return for the promoted side.
Arsenal Open Against Coventry
The opening fixture will see Arsenal begin their campaign at home as they attempt to defend the title they won in the 2025/26 season.
Coventry, who are back in the Premier League after promotion, will face a difficult start against Mikel Arteta’s side in North London.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
Man United Begin Away At Hull
The first Saturday match of the season will see Hull City host Manchester United at 12:30pm.
The opening Saturday will also feature three 3pm fixtures, with Nottingham Forest hosting Leeds United, Everton facing Crystal Palace, and Ipswich Town taking on Sunderland.
Brentford will later host Tottenham Hotspur in the evening fixture at 5:30pm.
Man City, Liverpool In Sunday Action
On Sunday, August 23, Manchester City will begin their campaign at home to Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.
Brighton & Hove Albion will also host Aston Villa at 2pm, with the fixture scheduled with Brighton’s UEFA Conference League qualification commitments in mind.
Later in the day, Newcastle United will host Liverpool at St James’ Park in one of the biggest fixtures of the opening weekend.
The first round of matches will be completed on Monday, August 24, when Fulham host Chelsea in a London derby at 8pm.
Season Starts Later After World Cup
The 2026/27 Premier League season will start later than usual because of the expanded FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19, leaving clubs with 33 days before the new Premier League campaign begins.
The league said the later start will also allow 89 clear days from the end of the 2025/26 season.
Season To End In May 2027
The new campaign will feature 33 weekend match rounds and five midweek match rounds.
The Premier League also said the fixture calendar was designed to reduce clashes with UEFA club competition dates where possible.
During the Christmas and New Year period, clubs will have at least a 60-hour break between matches, as part of efforts to manage player workload during the busy festive schedule.
The season will end on Sunday, May 30, 2027, with all final-day matches kicking off at 4pm.
Nine English Clubs In Europe
The Premier League also confirmed that nine of its clubs will participate in UEFA competitions in the new season.
The league warned supporters that European commitments could lead to fixture changes during the campaign, especially if clubs progress to the later stages of continental competitions.
Fixture changes for broadcast selections will be announced in stages, with the league aiming to give supporters at least six weeks’ notice before the end of the calendar year and five weeks’ notice from January to the end of the season.
Sky Sports and TNT Sports will continue to show Premier League matches under the current UK broadcast agreements, while BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT hold live audio commentary rights.
