The 2026-27 Premier League season got under way on Friday 21 August, a week later than usual because of the World Cup. All ten opening-round matches have now been played, the last of them on Monday night.
The results
Friday 21 August
- Arsenal 3 - 0 Coventry City 21:00
Saturday 22 August
- Hull City 2 - 0 Manchester United 13:30
- Everton 2 - 0 Crystal Palace 16:00
- Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Sunderland 16:00
- Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Leeds United 16:00
- Brentford 3 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur 18:30
Sunday 23 August
- Brighton & Hove Albion 4 - 0 Aston Villa 15:00
- Manchester City 2 - 1 Bournemouth 15:00
- Newcastle United 2 - 2 Liverpool 17:30
Monday 24 August
- Fulham 2 - 3 Chelsea 21:00
Scores updated at 09:10
The talking points
Arsenal began their title defence without a scare. The champions saw off Coventry 3-0 on opening night through Kai Havertz (15'), Bukayo Saka (23') and Martin Ødegaard (49').
The promoted sides pulled off the round's biggest result. Hull City, back in the top flight after nine years, beat Manchester United 2-0 with goals from Semi Ajayi (17') and Nathan Mendy (38'). Ipswich Town also won, 2-1 against Sunderland thanks to a Jack Clarke strike on 90 minutes. Only Coventry, back after twenty-five years away, came away empty-handed.
Brighton go top. The Seagulls tore Aston Villa apart 4-0 — a Victor Lindelöf own goal (8'), a Maxim De Cuyper finish (18') and two Jack Hinshelwood goals in as many minutes (30', 31'). The best goal difference of the round puts them provisionally ahead of Arsenal and Brentford.
Two late finishes. Manchester City trailed Bournemouth at home before turning the game around in the closing stages (Marc Guéhi 84', Josko Gvardiol 90'+1). At St James' Park, Dominik Szoboszlai rescued a point for Liverpool from the penalty spot in the ninth minute of stoppage time (2-2).
Xabi Alonso won his first match in the Chelsea dugout, if chaotically: 3-2 at Craven Cottage, João Pedro scoring inside the first minute and two goals conceded along the way.
Where to watch this season?
In France, the Premier League stays with Canal+ and its football channels.
The season format
The Premier League has 20 clubs and 38 matchweeks, from 21 August 2026 to 30 May 2027. The opening and closing rounds were both pushed back a week because of the 2026 World Cup.
Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City come up from the Championship — after twenty-five, one and nine years away respectively. They replace West Ham, Burnley and Wolverhampton.
Two changes this season: gambling sponsors are banned from the front of match-day shirts, and the calendar drops to four international breaks instead of five, including a three-week gap between late September and early October.
