Two Premier League matches began at 14:00 on Sunday 23 August 2026.
The two fixtures were Brighton & Hove Albion versus Aston Villa and Manchester City versus Bournemouth. Brighton won 4–0, while Manchester City came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2–1. Both matches were listed at 14:00 in the official opening-round schedule.
The timing was partly shaped by Brighton’s involvement in the UEFA Conference League qualifying play-offs on the previous Thursday. The club’s league fixture was placed on Sunday, and it shared that time slot with Manchester City’s home game.
Newcastle United versus Liverpool followed later on Sunday at 16:30. The opening round therefore had three Sunday fixtures in total, but only the Brighton–Aston Villa and Manchester City–Bournemouth games began at 14:00.