Premier League 2026/27: fixtures, kick-off times and what to watch
The 2026/27 Premier League season gets under way on the weekend of 15 August, and the opening fixtures are out. The headline pick: a Manchester derby on day one, with Manchester City hosting Manchester United in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
Defending champions face an early test, with two top-six opponents in the opening five games. Arsenal travel to Newcastle on the opening weekend, while Liverpool host Chelsea in a televised Sunday afternoon fixture. Tottenham begin life under their new head coach with a visit to Brighton.
Three storylines to watch
1. The Manchester rebuild on a clock. Both Manchester clubs spent heavily in the summer window. City's strategy has been quietly to refresh rather than rebuild, replacing two key midfielders with younger profiles. United's new sporting director has overseen the most aggressive squad turnover in the league, with five first-team additions already announced.
2. The promoted three under pressure earlier than ever. The Premier League is widely expected to be the most competitive in a decade at the bottom end, with all three promoted clubs facing a Big Six side within the first four matchdays. Wage controls introduced in 2025 are starting to bite for clubs returning from the Championship.
3. A wide-open title race. Pre-season betting markets put no club shorter than 11/4 for the title, the closest top-of-market spread since 2019. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are within a single point of each other in implied probabilities.
Key early fixtures
- Sat 15 Aug, 12:30 — Manchester City v Manchester United
- Sat 15 Aug, 17:30 — Newcastle v Arsenal
- Sun 16 Aug, 16:30 — Liverpool v Chelsea
- Sat 22 Aug, 12:30 — Arsenal v Liverpool
- Sun 23 Aug, 14:00 — Manchester United v Tottenham
Broadcast picture
Sky Sports and TNT Sports retain the bulk of live coverage under the current three-year cycle, with Amazon Prime Video carrying the December midweek round and the Boxing Day window. The season's first Premier League Productions weekend highlights package will be streamed free on the league's own social channels for the third year running.
