Ipswich Town faced Sunderland in their first 2026–27 Premier League match back in the top flight.
The fixture took place on Saturday, 22 August 2026, during the opening weekend. Ipswich hosted Sunderland at Portman Road in one of the weekend’s three matches scheduled for a 15:00 BST start.
Ipswich’s return was a major storyline because the club had spent the previous season outside the Premier League. Their opening opponent, Sunderland, also brought a strong promotion narrative, making the match a meeting between clubs with recent upward momentum.
Ipswich won 2–1. The result gave the home side an encouraging start to its campaign and made the fixture more than a routine opening-day pairing. It was also one of the opening weekend’s matches involving clubs newly arriving in the division.