Manchester City versus Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion versus Aston Villa were scheduled for 23 August 2026.
Both matches were placed on Sunday during the 2026–27 Premier League opening weekend. Each was scheduled for a 14:00 BST kick-off, creating a simultaneous pair of Sunday afternoon fixtures. Manchester City were listed to host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, while Brighton were listed to host Aston Villa.
The Premier League explained that Brighton’s fixture was scheduled on Sunday because Brighton had UEFA Conference League qualification play-off involvement on the preceding Thursday. The arrangement avoided placing the club in an impractical early weekend slot.
The date sits between Saturday’s seven fixtures and the final two matches of the opening round. Newcastle United versus Liverpool followed at 16:30 on Sunday, and Fulham versus Chelsea concluded the first match round on Monday 24 August. These scheduling details make 23 August distinct from the Friday opener and Monday finale.