Arsenal to start Premier League title defence against promoted Coventry

Arsenal’s defence of the Premier League title will start with a home game against newly promoted Coventry City, after the 2026-27 fixtures were released on Friday.

The Gunners ended a 22-year wait to be crowned champions of England in 2025-26, getting the job done with a game to spare after rivals Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth in May.

And Mikel Arteta’s team will be at home for next season’s curtain-raiser, with Coventry visiting the Emirates Stadium on August 21 after winning the Championship title in 2026-27.

The Sky Blues are back in the top flight for the first time since 2001, having spent time in the second, third and fourth tiers since their last relegation from the Premier League.

Their head coach, Frank Lampard, was the first manager to defeat Arteta in the Premier League, while in charge of Chelsea in December 2019.

However, he has won none of his four Premier League games against the Gunners since then (D1 L3).

This will be the eighth instance of the Premier League champions starting the following season at home to a newly promoted side, and they have won each of the previous seven, scoring 21 goals in the process.

The first match of 2026/27…

Last season’s Premier League winners Arsenal host Championship winners Coventry!  pic.twitter.com/WIRicaTPID

— Premier League (@premierleague) June 19, 2026

Elsewhere on matchday one, Manchester United will start their first full season under Michael Carrick with a trip to Hull City, who beat Middlesbrough in last month’s Championship play-off final.

The Red Devils have never lost in the top flight when facing a newly promoted team in their first game of the season (W9 D3).

The third promoted club, Ipswich Town, are at home to Sunderland, who secured Europa League qualification in their first campaign back among England’s elite in 2025-26.

On Sunday, August 23, Man City will host Bournemouth in their first Premier League outing since Pep Guardiola’s departure, with Enzo Maresca expected to take charge before then.

Andoni Iraola’s first assignment as Liverpool manager is a tricky trip to Newcastle United, though the Reds boast the longest ongoing unbeaten run in matchday one Premier League games (13) and are undefeated in their last 19 meetings with the Magpies (W14 D5).

There will also be two new faces in the dugouts when Chelsea host neighbours Fulham on August 24, with Xabi Alonso taking charge at Stamford Bridge and the Cottagers still seeking a replacement for now-Benfica boss Marco Silva. 

The final matchday of the season includes Arsenal hosting Brighton, Tottenham going to Aston Villa, Liverpool taking on Iraola’s former club Bournemouth, and City visiting Sunderland.