The five Premier League teams with the toughest opening fixtures as Arsenal face brutal title defence

The 2026/27 Premier League season is set to begin when Arsenal host Coventry City on Friday, August 21, at the Emirates Stadium. The majority of fans will be hopeful with a sense of optimism going into the campaign.

Each club will be aiming for a fine start to their new campaign, as they hope to have given themselves the best footing for a title bid or European push or to ensure they do not get drawn into a relegation battle.

However, there may also be those supporters who will be hoping their club can get to the first international break without suffering a major setback in their ambitions due to how difficult their start may be perceived by fans.

SPORTbible have taken a look at the five clubs that have been handed the most difficult start to the 2026/27 Premier League season.

5) Arsenal

The current Premier League champions may have hoped for an easier start in the defence of their crown; however, they will know more than most that there are no easy fixtures in this division.

Arsenal will be confident they can secure three points in their opening fixture against Coventry at home; however, it could be the worst time to face the Championship title holders, who will be full of confidence after last season and targeting a shock result.

Arteta

The Gunners will then travel to face Aston Villa, where they lost last season thanks to a late Emi Buendia strike, before hosting their London rivals Chelsea.

Mikel Arteta’s side will then travel to Sunderland, a stadium where they only managed to secure a point last season against a difficult side.

Finally, their last game before the international break will be a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.

4) Coventry City

The Sky Blues are competing in the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, after they suffered relegation in 2001.

Frank Lampard’s side could not have asked for a more difficult opening-day opponent, as they travel to face Arsenal, the current champions of the competition.

Coventry will then host Hull City, a fixture that could be a relegation six-pointer despite being only the second game of the season for both clubs, before they travel to the Etihad to face the 10-time Premier League champions Manchester City.

The current Championship title holders will then host Brighton before travelling to face Nottingham Forest.

3) Hull City

The Tigers won promotion back to the Premier League through the playoffs, and they enter the campaign as one of the favourites for relegation.

Fans of Hull will know just how important a good start is to maintain their Premier League status, after the last time they were in the English top-flight, as 21 of their 34 points in the 2017/18 campaign were secured in the second-half of the campaign as the club improved under Marco Silva, as they finished six points off safety.

Hull City Southampton Playoff

Sergej Jakirovic’s side will begin their campaign with the hosting of Manchester United before a trip to Coventry.

Hull will then host the current Europa League champions Aston Villa before a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.

Their final game before the international break will be against Newcastle at St James’ Park, with the supporters hoping they have not been dealt a significant blow by this stage of the campaign.

2) Newcastle United

The Magpies have not been gifted the easiest start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, one in which it is a fresh start for the club after Eddie Howe opted to resign during preseason.

Matthias Jaissle will have to find his feet quick at Newcastle, as the club have lost several of their stars over the summer, including Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, as they joined Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, respectively.

His first game in charge of Newcastle will be at home; however, it is against Liverpool, a team they have struggled against in the Premier League, with their last winning coming in December 2015.

The Magpies will then travel to face a new-look Spurs after a summer spending spree before hosting Bournemouth at home, before travelling to face Leeds United at Elland Road, which is not an easy task.

Their final game before the international window is at home to newly promoted Hull, which on paper should be easy, but underestimating the Tigers would be a mistake after a difficult few weeks before this fixture for Newcastle.

1) Fulham

Fans of the Cottagers may believe that they have been handed the hardest start to the Premier League campaign this season, especially when they are about to begin life under a new manager in the shape of Alvaro Arbeloa.

The Spaniard took over from Marco Silva, who departed the club to become manager of Benfica, and he has been busy attempting to get the players used to the style he wants them to play.

Harrison Reed celebrates with his Fulham teammates. image credit: Getty

However, Arbeloa and the Fulham fanbase may have hoped for an easier start to the campaign to allow the team to find their feet; instead, they have been given an opening fixture against their fierce West London rivals, Chelsea, at the Craven Cottage.

While the team they face next may be perceived as an easier opponent than Chelsea, a trip to the Stadium of Light to play Sunderland is difficult. The Black Cats were undefeated in 15 of their 19 home fixtures last season.

Fulham will then host another London rival on Gameweek three, this time in the shape of Crystal Palace, before a difficult trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, who will be aiming to ensure they are in the hunt for the league title.

Finally, their last game before the international break is against Manchester United at Craven Cottage, with the last time they beat the Red Devils at home in the Premier League being all the way back in December 2009.