Why Arsenal and Chelsea have the toughest Premier League schedule among all title rivals

Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title when they kick off the 2026/27 season at home to newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21.

Read more Aichi Pushes Back IR Bidding Schedule After Requests for More Time

The Gunners play as defending champions for the first time in 22 years, while Coventry – now led by Chelsea hero Frank Lampard – are back in England’s top flight after a quarter-century absence.

Manchester City launch the post-Pep Guardiola era at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, August 23. The Cherries have also undergone a managerial change and their former boss Andoni Iraola leads Liverpool for the first time in a mouthwatering away match at Newcastle United later that day.

Michael Carrick’s first full season in the Old Trafford hotseat starts with Manchester United facing consecutive matches against newly promoted teams – travelling to Hull City for the early kickoff on Saturday, August 22 before hosting Ipswich Town the following weekend.

Chelsea are another team starting a fresh chapter, with plenty of intrigue around how Xavi Alonso will debut as a Premier League coach following his contrasting experiences at Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid. The Blues begin with a short trip to Fulham before hosting Brighton.

MORE: Why Andoni Iraola is a perfect fit for Liverpool despite never winning a trophy

Of course, members of the fun police on fixture release day will tell you that everyone plays one another twice. And, yes, that’s definitely true. But we all know how important a fast start out of the blocks can be, while a generous run-in will have fans dreaming of glory, imagining what it might be like lifting the trophy on a sun-drenched afternoon, as Arsenal did at Selhurst Park last month.

With all of that in mind – while acknowledging that everyone thought Brentford and Sunderland would be relegated last season and no one really knows anything – we’ve analysed the opening fixtures and run-ins of all the presumed title challengers, looking at the five matches before the first international break of the campaign in September and the final eight matches following the March internationals.

Read more UK Regulator Unveils £26m Offensive Against Illegal Gambling Sites

Why Arsenal and Chelsea have the toughest Premier League schedule

While a home match against last season’s Championship winners looks generous for Arsenal, what follows isn’t ideal.

Aston Villa, fourth last season, are the Gunners’ first away assignment, and trips to Brighton and Sunderland could both be tricky following a home game against Chelsea on September 5.

Arsenal’s first five Premier League fixtures 2026/27

If Arsenal have the toughest start among the big boys, Chelsea‘s run-in looks the most perilous.

After a west London derby at home to Fulham on April 10, the Blues travel to Brighton. They have lost each of their past four games against the Seagulls in all competitions. 

If Alonso’s team (we’ll assume the trigger-happy Chelsea hierarchy still have him in charge) manage to get through that run in contention, a home match against Manchester City followed by back-to-back trips to Liverpool and Tottenham will further test their mettle.

Chelsea’s Premier League run-in 2026/27

Full fixture lists for Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea to follow

Read more Inside Australia’s soccer team: A complete roster and more about 2026 World Cup squad