Excitement about the new Premier League season has ramped up after the fixtures for the 2026-27 campaign were unveiled on Friday.
The World Cup may be on, but soon the focus will turn back to Arsenal’s title defence and how Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City will cope under new management, plus the strength of promoted clubs Coventry, Hull and Ipswich.
Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League trophy at home to Coventry Cityplaceholder image
Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League trophy at home to Coventry City
Here, the Press Association picks out 10 eye-catching fixtures ahead of the new season.
August 21, Arsenal v Coventry
The fixture list has produced a mouth-watering match for Coventry and manager Frank Lampard to enjoy on the club’s return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. It will be daunting against champions Arsenal, but the Sky Blues will relish the Friday night slot.
August 22, Hull v Manchester United
Hull were last in the top flight in 2017 and excitement about a return will only ramp up after Michael Carrick’s United were revealed as the visitors to MKM Stadium on the opening weekend.
September 5, Arsenal v Chelsea
The first big-six meeting will occur at Emirates Stadium when Mikel Arteta welcomes close friend Xabi Alonso across London for a tough early test in his Chelsea tenure.
September 12, Manchester United v Manchester City
Old Trafford will host the first Manchester derby of the post-Pep Guardiola era. It will be the first time in a decade Guardiola has not been involved in this fixture. Carrick will eye a repeat of the 2-0 win he celebrated in January.
November 21, Liverpool v Manchester United
This will be a special fixture for both clubs with Andoni Iraola’s maiden match as Liverpool head coach against Manchester United at Anfield. Carrick got the better of the Reds in May, but that was at home and this will be his first trip to Merseyside as manager.
November 28, Arsenal v Manchester City
A battle between the two recent dominant clubs in the Premier League will take place at the end of November, with Arteta set to take on a new City boss for the first time.
December 5, Tottenham v Arsenal
Roberto De Zerbi will sample his first north London derby as Tottenham boss at the start of December. De Zerbi will be the seventh Spurs manager Arteta has faced in this fixture.
December 26, Coventry v Chelsea
The pick of the Boxing Day matches may be Lampard taking on old club Chelsea. After tentative reports the Blues may try to hire their former midfielder again, Lampard stayed with the Sky Blues and will aim to bring some Christmas cheer to his club’s fans.
March 20, Manchester City v Manchester United
The first Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium in 11 years that will not feature Guardiola in the dugout. Given it is two months before the end of the season, this could have consequences for the title or Champions League qualification.
May 1, Liverpool v Chelsea
An interesting atmosphere may await Xabi Alonso, who was heavily tipped to take over at former club Liverpool, but instead accepted the challenge at Chelsea. Alonso will also take on fellow Basque boss Iraola and there will inevitably be plenty of jeopardy around the match itself.