Coventry City had been away from the Premier League for 25 years before the 2026–27 season.
Coventry returned to the top flight as one of three promoted clubs, alongside Ipswich Town and Hull City. Their 25-year gap between Premier League seasons was the longest absence by a previous Premier League club in the Premier League era at that time.
The Sky Blues marked their return by visiting defending champions Arsenal in the season’s opening match on 21 August 2026. That made Coventry central to both the promotion story and the league’s opening-day narrative.
Ipswich had been absent for one season, while Hull City had been away for nine years. Those different timelines made Coventry’s return especially notable among the promoted teams.