Arsenal vs Coventry City was scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST on Friday 21 August 2026.
The evening start at Emirates Stadium made the match the first fixture of the new Premier League season. Arsenal, the defending champions, hosted Coventry City, one of the three newly promoted clubs. The Premier League listed the match for live coverage by Sky Sports.
The opening round used several different kickoff times. Hull City versus Manchester United was scheduled for 12:30 on Saturday, Brentford versus Tottenham Hotspur for 17:30, Newcastle United versus Liverpool for 16:30 on Sunday, and Fulham versus Chelsea for 20:00 on Monday.
The answer is expressed in British Summer Time because the fixture took place in August in the United Kingdom. It can be confused with the Monday night fixture, which also had a 20:00 scheduled kickoff, but Arsenal versus Coventry was the Friday opener.