Arsenal beat Coventry City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday 21 August to open the 2026-27 season. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard scored. Five more matches follow on Saturday, Hull City against Manchester United first at 12:30 BST.
The 2026-27 Premier League season is one match old and the first promoted club has already been shown what the division is for.
Arsenal beat Coventry City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night. Kai Havertz scored in the 15th minute, Bukayo Saka in the 23rd and Martin Odegaard four minutes into the second half, per ESPN's match report and NBC Sports' live coverage. Arsenal had 64 per cent of the ball and an expected-goals figure of 1.80 against Coventry City's 0.28, per ESPN.
Arsenal are the reigning champions, having ended a 22-year wait for the title last season. Coventry City were playing their first Premier League match since 2001.
The Saturday card is the fuller one. Hull City host Manchester United at 12:30 BST at the MKM Stadium, with Darren England refereeing. Everton play Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town play Sunderland and Nottingham Forest play Leeds United in the afternoon block, and Brentford host Tottenham Hotspur at 17:30 BST. Matchweek one closes at Craven Cottage on Monday, Fulham against Chelsea.
Hull City carry a record into their lunchtime kick-off that reads like Coventry City's evening. Ten Premier League meetings with Manchester United, eight defeats, two draws, no win, the last of them a goalless afternoon at Old Trafford in February 2017. Manchester United have never lost a top-flight opening fixture to promoted opponents: nine wins, three draws.
Manchester United arrive without Matthijs de Ligt, out with a back problem, and Manuel Ugarte, out with a knee, per ESPN on 20 August. Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko are listed as doubts. Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos are in line for competitive debuts.
Coventry City's twenty-five year absence from the division ended at 20:00 on Friday. Hull City's nine-year absence ends at 12:30 today.
Sources: ESPN match report, 21 August 2026 (Arsenal 3-0 Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium, Havertz 15, Saka 23, Odegaard 49, possession 64 to 36, expected goals 1.80 to 0.28); NBC Sports live coverage, 21 August 2026 (result, Arsenal opening their title defence, Coventry City newly promoted after a 25-year absence); ESPN fixture preview, 20 August 2026 (Hull City v Manchester United 12:30 BST at the MKM Stadium, referee Darren England, de Ligt back, Ugarte knee, Mount and Sesko doubtful, Tielemans and Santos in the predicted line-up); Premier League official fixture list, read 22 August 2026 (the Saturday programme and Fulham v Chelsea closing matchweek one on Monday 24 August); prior verified desk entry, 21 August 2026 (the ten-meeting Hull City record and the promoted-opponents record, sourced to Opta Analyst).