Coventry City was the 2026–27 Premier League opening-weekend club returning after the longest absence from the top flight.
Coventry had been away from the Premier League for 25 years before returning for the 2026–27 season. That was longer than Hull City’s nine-year absence and Ipswich Town’s one-year absence among the three promoted clubs.
Coventry’s return began with an especially demanding fixture: the club visited defending champions Arsenal in the season’s opening match. Arsenal won 3–0 at the Emirates Stadium.
The three promoted teams replaced West Ham United, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had been relegated from the previous Premier League season. Coventry’s 25-year gap was described as the longest absence for a previous Premier League club during the Premier League era.