Sunderland was Ipswich Town’s first 2026–27 Premier League opening-weekend opponent.
Ipswich hosted Sunderland on Saturday, 22 August 2026, in a match between two clubs beginning the campaign with important promotion-related context. Ipswich were returning to the Premier League after a one-year absence, while Sunderland were also part of the season’s returning or promoted group.
Ipswich won the match 2–1. The result gave the home side three points in its first game back in the division and left Sunderland without a point from the opening round.
Ipswich were one of three promoted clubs in the 2026–27 Premier League, together with Coventry City and Hull City. Their immediate success contrasted with Coventry’s defeat at Arsenal and Hull’s win over Manchester United. The opening weekend therefore gave the promoted teams mixed results rather than a single shared pattern.