Last season, Arsenal topped the league with 85 points, clinching their first English Premier League title since the 2003-2004 season under legendary coach Arsene Wenger. Mikel Arteta became the second youngest coach to win the league (44 years, 54 days), surpassed only by Jose Mourinho with Chelsea (42 years, 94 days in the 2004-2005 season).

Coach Mikel Arteta and Arsenal players celebrate their English Premier League championship at Selhurst Park, London, England on 24/5/2026. Photo: Reuters

Arsenal's first opponent in their title defense will be Coventry City, a club managed by English football legend Frank Lampard. Their promotion to the English Premier League for the 2026-2027 season marks "The Sky Blues'" return to the top flight after 25 years.

The "Gunners" will then face Aston Villa and Chelsea in the next two rounds. The London derby against Chelsea is particularly notable, with Xabi Alonso currently managing Chelsea.

In the late match of the opening round, Liverpool will begin the Andoni Iraola era with an away game at Newcastle on 23/8. The Merseyside club then faces a difficult run of fixtures, playing Man City and Arsenal in October, followed by Man Utd and Everton in November.

Man City enters the post-Pep Guardiola era by hosting Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town face different challenges. Hull will host Man Utd at MKM Stadium, while Ipswich welcomes Sunderland at Portman Road.

The opening round of the English Premier League 2026-2027 season will also feature other notable matches, including London derbies like Brentford against Tottenham (22/8) and Fulham facing Chelsea (24/8).

Sky Sports rates Man Utd as having the easiest initial fixtures, despite a Manchester derby against Man City on 12/9. After Hull City in the opening round, the "Red Devils" will play Ipswich, Everton, Man City, Fulham, and Tottenham.

Conversely, Sunderland is rated as having the most difficult schedule. Bournemouth, Man City, Chelsea, and Tottenham also face challenging starts.

The 2026-2027 season will continue to feature a dense schedule during the Christmas and New Year period. Teams will have a minimum of 60 hours rest between matches, and Boxing Day (26/12) will feature a full round of fixtures.

However, Arsenal will not travel extensively during the festive period, with a run of 9 consecutive matches in London from 28/11 to 6/1.

Furthermore, with 9 clubs participating in three European Cups this season, the English Premier League schedule may change based on the teams' fixtures in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

Hong Duy (according to Sky Sports)