Coventry City was the promoted 2026–27 Premier League club that had been absent from the top flight for 25 years.
Coventry returned to the Premier League after a quarter-century away. The club was one of three teams promoted from the Championship for the 2026–27 season, joining Ipswich Town and Hull City.
Its return began against the defending champions, Arsenal, in the season’s opening match at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal won 3–0, but Coventry’s promotion remained one of the defining stories of the opening weekend because it restored the club to England’s top division after a long absence.
Ipswich Town had returned after only one year away, while Hull City’s absence had lasted nine years. Those different timelines make Coventry the unique answer when the question focuses on a 25-year gap.