Three Premier League fixtures were scheduled for Sunday in the 2026–27 opening Match Round.
The Sunday programme on 23 August 2026 consisted of Manchester City versus AFC Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion versus Aston Villa, and Newcastle United versus Liverpool. The first two matches were listed for 14:00 BST, while Newcastle versus Liverpool was scheduled for 16:30.
The distribution of matches across the opening round was uneven because the ten fixtures were spread from Friday through Monday. There was one Friday match, five Saturday matches, three Sunday matches and one Monday match.
The Sunday schedule also reflected European commitments. Brighton’s participation in the UEFA Conference League qualification play-offs on the preceding Thursday helped explain why Brighton versus Aston Villa was placed on Sunday. The round began with Arsenal versus Coventry City on Friday and concluded with Fulham versus Chelsea on Monday.