Every Premier League team's pre-season schedule ranked by difficulty
With the new Premier League season just around the corner, teams are travelling far and wide to make sure players are physically, tactically and mentally prepared for next month's opener.
As well as building match fitness, pre-season allows teams to integrate some of their summer signings.
Arsenal, for example, will begin their Premier League title defence on August 21, when they host Coventry City in the opening game of the 2026-27 campaign, but before that Friday night game, they will take part in five games.
Here, fans will likely get the chance to watch some new faces in action. Earlier this month, goalkeeper Illan Meslier joined the North London club on a free transfer following the expiry of his Leeds contract.
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More recently, Arsenal completed a £33.8million deal with Belgian side Club Brugge for highly-rated Greek winger Christos Tzolis, who will likely be a direct replacement for Leandro Trossard.
Mikel Arteta is also keen to bolster his midfield options this summer, with Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes being strongly linked with a move.
So, how will the defending champions, as well the other 19 Premier League clubs, prepare for the 2026-27 campaign? Here is every team’s pre-season schedule, along with our assessment of how difficult their fixture list is.
Arsenal
Difficulty rating out: 7.5
1 August – Girona (A)
5 August – Real Betis (Dublin)
9 August – Borussia Dortmund (H)
12 August: Como (H)
16 August – FA Community Shield v Man City
Aston Villa
Difficulty rating: 9.5
21 July – Aston Villa 5-0 Walsall (A)
25 July – Porto (A)
28 July – Real Sociedad (Walsall)
1 August – Indonesia All-Stars (Jakarta)
4 August – BG Pathum United (Pathum Thani)
7 August – Bayern Munich (Hong Kong)
12 August – UEFA Super Cup - PSG (Salzburg)
15 August – Borussia Monchengladbach (A)
Bournemouth
Difficulty rating: 7
24 July – St. Pauli (Saalfelden)
30 July – Augsburg (Saalfelden)
4 August – Genoa (behind closed doors)
8 August – Real Betis (Seville)
15 August – Mainz (Mewa Arena)
Brentford
Difficulty rating: 6
15 July – Brentford 3-2 AFC Wimbledon
8 August – Rennes (A)
15 August – Eintracht Frankfurt (London)
Brighton & Hove Albion
Difficulty rating: 7
18 July – Brighton 4-1 Wycombe Wanderers
25 July – Annecy (behind closed doors)
1 August – Strasbourg (behind closed doors)
8 August – Roma (H)
15 August – Bologna (H)
Chelsea
Difficulty rating: 8
28 July – Western Sydney Wanderers (Sydney)
1 August – Spurs (Sydney)
5 August – Juventus (Hong Kong)
8 August – AC Milan (Jakarta)
9 August – Johor Darul Ta'zim (Johor)
15 August – Real Sociedad (H)
Coventry City
Difficulty rating: 6
11 July – Wimbledon 3-2 Coventry (behind closed doors)
18 July – Northampton Town 0-0 Coventry (A)
8 August – Espanyol (H)
14 August – Monaco (H)
Crystal Palace
Difficulty rating: 6.5
18 July – Crystal Palace 5-1 Swindon (Crystal Palace Academy)
25 July – Bromley (Hayes Lane)
28 July – Lens (Lake Como)
28 July – Famalicao (Lake Como)
15 August – Freiburg (Europa-Park Stadion)
Everton
Difficulty rating: 7.5
18 July – Dundee 0-4 Everton (A)
25 July – Bolton (A)
28 July – Stoke (A)
1 August – Hamburg (A)
8 August – Stuttgart (A)
12 August – Newcastle (Edinburgh)
15 August – Lille (H)
Fulham
Difficulty rating: 6
25 July – Norwich City (A)
28 July – Al-Ahli (A)
1 August – Farense (H)
7 August – Crystal Palace
15 August – Stuttgart (H)
Hull City
Difficulty rating: 6.5
25 July – Konyaspor (Slovenia)
28 July – Caykur Rizespor (Slovenia)
1 August – Kasimpasa (Istanbul)
8 August – Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
15 August – OGC Nice (H)
Ipswich Town
Difficulty rating: 6.5
29 July – Osasuna (Colchester)
1 August – Oxford Utd (A)
1 August – Wycombe (A)
4 August – Le Havre (H)
8 August – Rayo Vallecano (H)
15 August – Union Berlin (Berlin)
Leeds United
Difficulty rating: 8.5
25 July – Wrexham (Tampa)
30 July – Sunderland (New Jersey)
2 August – Liverpool (Chicago)
8 August – RB Leipzig (H)
12 August – Man Utd (Dublin)
Liverpool
Difficulty rating: 8
25 July – Sunderland (Nashville)
29 July – Wrexham (New York)
2 August – Leeds (Chicago)
9 August – Monaco (Anfield)
16 August – Como (behind closed doors)
16 August – Como (Anfield)
Manchester City
Difficulty rating: 7.5
1 August – Inter Milan (Hong Kong)
5 August – K-League All-Stars (Seoul)
9 August – Atletico Madrid (Seoul)
16 August – FA Community Shield v Arsenal (Cardiff)
Manchester United
Difficulty rating: 8.5
18 July Man Utd 0-1 Wrexham (Helsinki)
24 July – Rosenborg 0 - 5 Man Utd (Trondheim)
1 August – Atletico Madrid (Stockholm)
8 August – Paris Saint-Germain (Gothenburg)
12 August – Leeds (Dublin)
15 August – AC Milan (Wroclaw)
Newcastle United
Difficulty rating: 8
18 July – Newcastle 3-0 Darlington (behind closed doors)
25 July – Gateshead (A)
29 July – Bristol City (A)
8 August – Valencia (A)
12 August – Everton (Edinburgh)
15 August – Bayer Leverkusen (H)
16 August – Strasbourg (H)
Nottingham Forest
Difficulty rating: 8.5
18 July – Notts County 0-2 Nott'm Forest (A)
22 July – Nott'm Forest 3-0 Blackburn (Albufeira)
26 July – Vitoria (behind closed doors)
31 July – Sporting (Faro)
8 August – Udinese (Udine)
8 August – Barcelona (Udine)
12 August – Bayer Leverkusen (H)
16 August – Brest (H)
Sunderland
Difficulty rating: 8
18 July – York City 1-5 Sunderland (York)
25 July – Liverpool (Nashville)
30 July – Leeds (New Jersey)
2 August – Wrexham (Philadelphia)
8 August – Lens (behind closed doors)
8 August – Lens (Lens)
15 August – Rennes (Stadium of Light)
Tottenham Hotspur
Difficulty rating: 8
22 July – MK Dons (behind closed doors)
26 July – Auckland FC (Auckland)
29 July – Sydney FC (Sydney)
1 August – Chelsea (Sydney)
8 August – Getafe (behind closed doors)
15 August – Hoffenheim (H)
16 August – Hoffenheim (behind closed doors)
Topics: Premier League, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur
Jack Kenmare