Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Coventry City will begin their first Premier League campaign in 25 years with a trip to champions Arsenal on August 21.
The fixtures for the 2026-27 season were revealed on Friday and Frank Lampard’s new boys start with a tough test at Emirates Stadium, the day before fellow promoted club Hull City begin with a mouth-watering home fixture with Manchester United on the Saturday.
The third promoted club Ipswich Town 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.
Manchester City start life after Pep Guardiola at home to Bournemouth, Brentford host Tottenham, Everton welcome Conference League champions Crystal Palace to Merseyside, Leeds United visit Nottingham Forest, 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.
Arsenal face a difficult opening period after they host the Sky Blues. That’s followed by Mikel Arteta’s men going to Aston Villa, before the first big-six encounter of the season pits Alonso’s Chelsea against the Premier League champions at the Emirates.
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.
City and Arsenal do not face each other until November 28 with the Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium also occurring 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 just before Christmas.
The pick of the Boxing Day schedule is a special festive fixture for Lampard, with old club Chelsea set to visit Coventry on December 26.
Liverpool travel to United on January 23 and a week later Man City host Arsenal at the Etihad, which is followed by Iraola’s Reds going to Emirates Stadium on February 6.
The final day of the season will take place on May 30 with Arsenal at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, while City travel to Sunderland and Liverpool host Iraola’s old club Bournemouth.
If the relegation battle goes to the wire again, Coventry, Hull and Ipswich will all be at home in respective matches against Forest, Newcastle and Everton.
