**Arsenal will begin their Premier League title defence under the Friday night lights after their opening game against Coventry City moved to an 8pm kick-off.**
[Mikel Arteta’s side will host newly-promoted Coventry at Emirates Stadium on Friday, 21 August. Sky Sports will show the opening fixture live.](https://roundtable.io/sports/soccer/premier-league/arsenal/news/arsenal-premier-league-fixtures-rearranged-as-tv-picks-confirmed?utm_campaign=afcnewsroomhttps://roundtable.io/sports/soccer/premier-league/arsenal/news/arsenal-premier-league-fixtures-rearranged-as-tv-picks-confirmed?utm_campaign=afcnewsroom)
Arsenal’s second league game has also moved for TV. The champions will travel to Aston Villa on Monday, 31 August, with kick-off at Villa Park set for 20:00 BST.
Chelsea then visit Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 6 September. That London derby will start at 16:30 BST, with Sky Sports also showing the game live.
Arsenal’s fourth league match has moved to Saturday, 12 September. Arteta’s side will travel to Sunderland for an 20:00 BST kick-off on TNT Sports.
Brighton remain the only one of Arsenal’s first five league opponents not selected for live TV. The home game stays in its Saturday 15:00 BST slot on 19 September.
Friday, 21 August
Coventry City (H) | 20:00 | Sky Sports
Monday, 31 August
Aston Villa (A) | 20:00 | Sky Sports
Sunday, 6 September
Chelsea (H) | 16:30 | Sky Sports
Saturday, 12 September
Sunderland (A) | 20:00 | TNT Sports
Saturday, 19 September
Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | 15:00
The changes give Arsenal a varied opening month. They now face Friday night, Monday night, Sunday afternoon and Saturday evening kick-offs before the Brighton fixture.
[ReadArsenal recently covered](https://readarsenal.com/2026/07/06/arsenal-august-ladder-arteta-control-test/) how Arteta already faces a compressed build-up before the Coventry opener. The first broadcast selections now add another layer to that early-season planning.
The Chelsea match stands out as Arsenal’s first major home league fixture. The trip to Villa Park also gives the champions a difficult away game before the first international break.
Further fixture changes will follow later in the summer. The Premier League expects to confirm October broadcast selections after the extended international break.