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The new Premier League season kicks off with Arsenal facing Coventry City on August 21, 2026. This article will cover the opening weekend, international breaks, and other notable dates. 20 teams play 38 games in a Premier League campaign, and the full fixture list is here.
When does the 2026/27 Premier League season start?
The opening weekend of the new Premier League season is 21–23 August. The first match is the Friday night game between Arsenal and Coventry, which kicks off at 8 pm BST. The campaign lasts 10 months, running until May 30, 2027. It runs this way as football is traditionally not a summer sport. The structure allows players to have June and July off, where their can be international tournaments such as the World Cup.
Date | Event |
|---|---|
August 21, 2026 | Season starts |
September 1, 2026 | Summer transfer window closes |
September 21 – October 6, 2026 | First international break |
November 9–17, 2026 | Second international break |
March 22–30, 2027 | Third international break |
May 30, 2027 | Final day of the season |
Which matches are being played on the opening weekend?
The headline fixture on the opening weekend is the defending champions Arsenal taking on newly promoted Coventry City. There are also two London derbies with Brentford playing Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham facing Chelsea. Another mouthwatering clash is Newcastle United against Liverpool.
Ipswich Town, who achieved automatic promotion alongside Coventry, begin their campaign by playing Sunderland. Hull City came up via the Championship playoffs and face the daunting task of taking on Manchester United.
Date | Fixture | Kick-off time (BST) | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|---|
August 21 | Arsenal vs Coventry | 8 pm | Sky Sports |
August 22 | Hull City vs Manchester United | 12:30 pm | TNT Sports |
August 22 | Everton vs Crystal Palace | 3 pm | N/A |
August 22 | Ipswich Town vs Sunderland | 3 pm | N/A |
August 22 | Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United | 3pm | N/A |
August 22 | Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur | 5:30 pm | Sky Sports |
August 23 | Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa | 2 pm | Sky Sports |
August 23 | Manchester City vs AFC Bournemouth | 4:30 pm | Sky Sports |
August 24 | Fulham vs Chelsea | 8 pm | Sky Sports |
When were the Premier League fixtures released?
The fixtures for the 2026/27 season were released at 10 pm on July 19. The match pairings are computer-generated. However, they are manually adjusted to take into account travel, fairness, stadium availability, and broadcasters. Many kick-off times will be adjusted throughout the season due to teams' progress in European and domestic cup competitions.
Kick-off times are often changed for broadcast reasons. Crucial games in the title race, qualification for Europe, and relegation battles are often picked for TV coverage. Other factors that could change fixtures are weather, police advice, or other big events.
What are the key Premier League dates in 2026/27?
Date | Event |
|---|---|
August 24 (w/c) | Second round of the Carabao Cup, where Premier League teams enter |
September 7 & 14 (w/c) | Third round of the Carabao Cup |
September 21 – October 6 | First international break |
October 26 (w/c) | Carabao Cup fourth round |
December / January | Busy festive period with lots of midweek matches. This includes Boxing Day fixtures and games around January 1 |
December 14 (w/c) | Carabao Cup quarter-finals |
January 7 - February 5, 2027 | Asian Cup |
January 9 | Third round of the FA Cup, where Premier League teams enter |
January 11 (w/c) | First legs of the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup |
February 1 (w/c) | Second legs of the Carabao Cup |
February 23 | FA Cup fourth round |
March 6 | FA Cup fifth round |
March 21 | Carabao Cup final |
April 3 | FA Cup quarter-finals |
April 24 | FA Cup quarter-finals |
May 22 | FA Cup final |
The English football calendar is very congested, especially as it accommodates two domestic cup competitions. There is no rest for players, especially those who represent their countries and have to fly across the world during international breaks. This season will also see certain Premier League players take a break from club duty in order to play at the Asian Cup. A controversial issue is that the FA Cup now takes place on May 22, which is a week before the final day of the Premier League season.
How does the Premier League season work?
20 teams will play each other home and away, which will make up a 38-game season for each club. You get three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a defeat. The team with the most points at the end of the campaign wins the trophy.
The bottom three clubs are relegated to the Championship. They are replaced by the top two teams from England's second tier, plus the winner of the Championship's playoffs.
Usually, the top four Premier League clubs qualify for the Champions League. However, depending on how English clubs do in Europe, they can gain another Champions League spot. Fifth place generally qualifies a team for the Europa League, but this could go to sixth place if the Premier League gets five Champions League places.
The winners of the FA Cup also get a Europa League place, and the Carabao Cup champion gains a place in the Europa Conference League. However, often the victors of these competitions have already qualified for Europe. Therefore, the extra Europa League and Conference League places go to the highest-ranked Premier League places that have not already had a European place confirmed.
Here is the current Premier League table and matches.
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