Premier League 2026-27 Opening day fixtures released; Arsenal take on Coventry, Manchester United face Hull City

Newcastle and Liverpool face each other in the opening matchweek of PL 2026-27.

For football fans around the world, the Premier League season truly begins when the fixtures are announced. After weeks of waiting, the schedule for the 2026-27 campaign is finally out, giving supporters plenty to look forward to.

Many Premier League stars are already making their mark at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. Erling Haaland has been in fine form with a brace in Norway’s opening match, while Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres have impressed in attack for their country. At the back, Netherlands star Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven continue to show their quality on the biggest stage.

The new Premier League season will start on 21 August 2026 and end on 30 May 2027. The campaign has been pushed back by a week following the FIFA World Cup to give players more time to recover before returning to club football.

This season will also see some fresh faces in the top flight. Coventry City and Hull City are back in the Premier League after years away, while West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated last season. The fight to stay up went right down to the final day, with Tottenham Hotspur also dragged into the relegation battle before eventually surviving.

There will also be plenty of changes on the sidelines and in the squads, with several clubs appointing new managers and completing major transfers during the summer. From Arsenal’s title defence to Manchester City’s new era without Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s fresh start under Andoni Iraola, there are plenty of storylines to follow.

In this article, we take a look at the biggest fixtures from the opening weekend and what fans can expect from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs heading into the 2026-27 season.

A closer look at the Premier League Big Six ahead of new season

Defending Premier League champions Arsenal will once again be led by Mikel Arteta, who will be aiming to retain the league title this season. The Gunners begin their campaign at home against Coventry City, who have returned to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.

Managed by Frank Lampard, the Sky Blues secured promotion and will compete in the English top flight for the first time since 2001. Arsenal will then take on London rivals Chelsea in Matchweek 3 in one of the first blockbuster fixtures of the season.

Manchester City will enter a new era as they prepare for their first season this decade without Pep Guardiola on the touchline. Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who recently guided the Blues to FIFA Club World Cup glory, has taken charge at the Etihad. City will start their campaign against Bournemouth before facing Crystal Palace in Matchweek 2, where they will look to avenge last season’s FA Cup final defeat.

Manchester United will continue under Michael Carrick and have reshaped their squad by moving on players such as Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Højlund, who completed a permanent move to Napoli after an impressive loan spell in Italy. The Red Devils will kick off their Premier League campaign with an away game against Hull City at the MKM Stadium.

Chelsea have also made a major change in the dugout by appointing Spanish legend Xabi Alonso as their new head coach. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager will begin his Premier League journey with an away trip to Fulham before taking on Arsenal in a highly anticipated London derby in Matchweek 3.

Liverpool begin life under new manager Andoni Iraola, who has replaced Arne Slot at Anfield. The Reds face a tough opening challenge away to Newcastle United, making it one of the standout fixtures of the opening weekend.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market. With Roberto De Zerbi now in charge and new signings including Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Jan Paul van Hecke, Spurs will hope to make a strong start when they travel to face Brentford in their opening fixture.

List of opening match week fixtures in EPL 26-27 season

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