Arsenal Start Premier League Title Defence Against Promoted Coventry
Arsenal will begin its Premier League title defense at home against newly promoted Coventry, kicking off the league's 2026-27 season on August 21
Arsenal will begin its Premier League title defense at home against newly promoted Coventry, kicking off the league's 2026-27 season on August 21. Manchester City, in its first season in 10 years without Pep Guardiola as manager, will host Bournemouth in its opener, and Manchester United will visit promoted Hull. Liverpool will play at Newcastle. The season's fixtures were released by the league on Friday. Chelsea and new coach Xabi Alonso will visit Fulham in a West London derby on August 24 that concludes the opening round of fixtures.
After facing Coventry, Mikel Arteta's team will visit Aston Villa and then host Chelsea as it looks to repeat as champion after winning its first league title in 22 years last season.
Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's new manager, will get his first taste of the Merseyside derby on Nov. 28 at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Manchester United's second game of the season is also against a promoted team - Ipswich - this one at Old Trafford, with coach Michael Carrick starting a two-year contract.
The first Manchester derby is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Old Trafford. United will visit Anfield on Nov. 21.
The season starts one week later than the 2025-26 campaign to allow for player recovery following the World Cup.
The final round will be played on Sunday, May 30 - six days before the Champions League final on June 5 in Madrid.
Frank Lampard, the Chelsea great who coaches Coventry, will welcome his old team to the Coventry Building Society Arena on Boxing Day, Dec. 26.
Ipswich will open its campaign at home against Sunderland. Ipswich is looking for a new coach after Kieran McKenna stepped down just over a week ago despite leading the club to promotion.
Manchester City is also without a manager but is reportedly eyeing Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea coach who was an assistant to Guardiola at City in its treble-winning season of 2022-23.
The season's curtain-raising Community Shield between league champion Arsenal and FA Cup winner Manchester City will be held on Aug. 16 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff
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