Three Premier League fixtures were scheduled for Sunday 23 August 2026 in the opening round.
The Sunday matches were Brighton & Hove Albion versus Aston Villa, Manchester City versus Bournemouth, and Newcastle United versus Liverpool. The first two were listed for 14:00 BST, while Newcastle versus Liverpool was scheduled for 16:30 BST.
This three-match Sunday followed five fixtures on Saturday and the opening Arsenal–Coventry match on Friday. The round concluded with Fulham versus Chelsea on Monday, bringing the total to ten matches for the league’s first round.
Brighton’s match had a special scheduling reason: the club had been involved in UEFA Conference League qualification play-off action on the preceding Thursday. The spread of fixtures also reflected the Premier League’s broadcast scheduling arrangements for the new season.