Coventry fans discover where Premier League journey resumes after 25 years away
By George Sessions, Press Association
Coventry will begin their first Premier League campaign in 25 years with a Friday night trip to champions Arsenal on August 21.
The fixtures for the 2026-27 season were revealed on Friday morning, and Frank Lampard’s new boys start with a tough test at Emirates Stadium before fellow promoted club Hull begin with a mouth-watering home fixture with Manchester United on the Saturday.
Ipswich entertain Sunderland on August 22 and some of the other eye-catching opening weekend fixtures include Andoni Iraola taking Liverpool to Newcastle on August 23 for his debut match while Manchester City start life after Pep Guardiola at home to Bournemouth on the same day.
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Brentford host Tottenham, Everton welcome Conference League champions Crystal Palace to Merseyside and Leeds visit Nottingham Forest that weekend while Europa League winners Aston Villa make the trip to Brighton before new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso begins his reign with a west London derby at Fulham on Monday, August 24th.
Iraola’s Anfield debut will occur on the weekend of August 29th against Nottingham Forest and a first top-flight match at Coventry’s home stadium since 2001 will be versus Hull.
Arsenal face a difficult opening period after they host Coventry. It is followed by Mikel Arteta’s men going to Aston Villa before, a week later, the first big six encounter of the season will pit Alonso’s Chelsea against the Premier League champions at Emirates Stadium. Trips to Sunderland and Brighton follow for the north London outfit.
The weekend of September 12 brings the first Manchester derby of the post-Guardiola era with United boss Michael Carrick no doubt eager to claim bragging rights at Old Trafford before an eagerly anticipated trip to Liverpool on November 21.
Recent title rivals City and Arsenal do not face each other until November 28 with Emirates Stadium set to host the potential top-of-the-table clash and the Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium will also occur on the same weekend.
Roberto De Zerbi will get his first taste of the north London derby on December 5 when Tottenham host Arsenal before the champions entertain United in one of the final fixtures before Christmas.
The pick of the Boxing Day schedule is a special festive fixture for Coventry boss Lampard, with old club Chelsea set to visit on December 26 before the new boys visit Anfield for the first round of fixtures in 2027. City host Tottenham on the same weekend.
Liverpool travel to United on January 23 and a week later Man City host Arsenal at Etihad Stadium, which is followed by Iraola’s Reds going to Emirates Stadium on February 6.
The final day of the Premier League will take place on May 30 with Arsenal at home to Brighton while City travel to Sunderland and Liverpool host Iraola’s old club Bournemouth. Chelsea and United finish at home to Brentford and Fulham respectively.
If the relegation battle goes to the wire again, newly promoted Coventry, Hull and Ipswich will all be at home in respective matches against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Everton.