The 2026/27 Premier League season begins with defending champions Arsenal taking on promoted outfit Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21 (8pm kick-off).
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners finished top of the Premier League pile last season after pipping Pep Guardiola’s second-placed Manchester City to the post by seven points.
Guardiola will not be in the dugout for the new campaign, which will be overseen by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Man City take on Bournemouth in their opening game on Sunday, August 23 (2pm kick-off), while Andoni Iraola will begin his Liverpool reign with a tricky trip to Newcastle United in Sunday’s 4.30pm televised Sky Sports game.
Gameweek one ends with Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea team heading across London to face Fulham in a Monday night encounter which kicks off at 8pm.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Anuraj Tyagi scours the markets for the televised top-flight tussles and provides some suggested bets for them.
Arsenal vs Coventry City
Arsenal will kick-start the defence of their title with an opening game against newly-promoted Coventry City in a late Friday night fixture.
Though there are no easy matches in the Premier League, if Arsenal had to hand-pick a game to start the new season, this would certainly have been their choice.
The reigning champions have added a bunch of superstars to their ranks, which has only enhanced the explosiveness of the squad.
But the most significant addition is the proven league player Bruno Guimaraes amongst many.
The former Newcastle United captain played a key role as Arsenal brushed aside Manchester City in the Community Shield, winning 3-0.
For Coventry City, however, we know that their season won’t be defined by games against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City.
It will be their matches against teams around them in the table that determine whether they avoid relegation or survive for another season.
Considering they earned promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time in 25 years, those games will be even more important.
In terms of the head-to-head record, there is no anomaly here, as Arsenal have dominated this fixture.
In 76 matches across all competitions, Arsenal hold the advantage with 43 wins, while Coventry City have won 14.
The remaining 19 matches have ended in draws.
The last meeting between these two teams came in the fourth round of the 2014 FA Cup, which Arsenal won 4-0.
Match odds
With no disrespect to Coventry City, Arsenal are the outright favorites here for a variety of reasons, including being the reigning champions and playing at home.
The Gunners are 2/11 favorites to take all three points, while Coventry are a distant 17/1 to pull off an unlikely win. The odds of a draw in this opening game stand at 13/2.
Suggested bet
Arsenal to win 4-0.
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Hull City vs Manchester United
Manchester United are showing all the signs of a team that has the confidence and hunger to achieve big things this season.
After all, the Red Devils finished third in the 2025-26 season, ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
It was no mean feat, as United at one stage looked like finishing in the bottom half.
But such was the consistency shown by the team under then-interim manager Michael Carrick that the 20-time English champions fought their way to a respectable third-place finish, earning a return to the Champions League as well.
But the hard work starts now for Carrick and his team.
There is hope that United can build on the success of last season and at least match their third-place finish.
To achieve that, United have to hit the ground running from the very first match, which comes against Hull City at the KC Stadium in a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.
Just like Coventry City, Hull City are one of the three promoted teams, and their target is the same as the other two: avoid relegation and lay the foundation for a sustained period in the top flight.
Match odds
Manchester United are expected to dominate the match, and that is reflected in the betting trends.
The Red Devils are overwhelming favorites to win at 2/5, while Hull City are the outsiders at 7/1. The odds of a draw stand at 19/5.
Suggested bet
Manchester United to win to nil
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Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
Perhaps Arsenal’s league triumph last season prompted the Tottenham hierarchy to raise their ambitions.
The way Spurs have attacked the transfer market this summer certainly suggests that goals are being set as high as they were under Mauricio Pochettino.
The 2025 Europa League winners have already shelled out big money on the signings of Sandro Tonali (€108 million), Mateus Fernandes (€100 million) and Jan Paul van Hecke (€60 million).
The fact that they have also extended the contract of World Cup winner Pedro Porro and signed Champions League and Premier League winner Andrew Robertson on a free transfer makes their case for a top-five finish much stronger.
As for Brentford, the minimum aim would be to replicate what they did last season, and that was no mean feat, as they finished ninth in the table.
Thomas Frank’s Brentford were more direct in their approach, but Keith Andrews’ team plays with greater emphasis on build-up and positional control.
Premier League teams have the financial power, and Brentford are certainly flexing their muscles after signing Mamadou Sangare from Lens for a club-record £41 million.
They have also added Jaidon Anthony and Jannik Schuster from Burnley and Red Bull Salzburg, respectively.
In terms of the head-to-head record, Tottenham have dominated the last five fixtures, winning four times and drawing the other.
That sole draw was a 0-0 result at the Brentford Community Stadium last season.
Match odds
Brentford are a solid home team and remain a tough nut to crack.
That is also reflected in the betting trends ahead of the opening weekend, with Brentford priced at 29/20 to win, while Spurs are favorites at 7/4.
The odds of a draw stand at 13/5.
Suggested bet
Draw and both teams to score.
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Newcastle United vs Liverpool
For a neutral fan, few fixtures are as entertaining to watch over and over again as Newcastle United vs Liverpool. This game rarely fails to surprise us.
Liverpool have dominated the fixture, winning 38 of the 60 meetings and losing just 10.
While the Reds tend to enjoy more comfortable outings against Newcastle at Anfield, the story is very different when they travel to St James’ Park.
Historically, this fixture has produced plenty of late drama, with winners often coming deep into second-half stoppage time.
That was the case last season when a young Rio Ngumoha silenced the Newcastle faithful with a stunning late strike to give Liverpool a 3-2 victory.
However, this game could go in any direction.
Much of that is because both teams have new managers, while both clubs have also seen some big-name players leave during the summer.
Match odds
The visitors Liverpool are slight favorites at 19/20, while Newcastle United are priced at 27/10 to claim all three points. A draw is available at 3/1.
Suggested bet
Liverpool to win and both teams to score.
Fulham vs Chelsea
A London derby at the start of the season wouldn’t have been on the wish list of either team, but this is the kind of game that can infuse confidence into the winner.
Fulham are strong at home, while Chelsea are going through a transition, so this game has all the ingredients for a nail-biting contest.
Having said that, both Fulham and Chelsea are under new managers, with Alvaro Arbeloa taking over at Fulham, while Xabi Alonso has taken on the big job at Chelsea.
Interestingly, both managed Real Madrid last season, and both have a point to prove after not meeting expectations at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In terms of squad depth, both teams are certainly better equipped than last season, especially Chelsea.
The Blues took everyone by surprise after pipping Arsenal to the signing of the England international Morgan Rogers for a whopping £117 million.
Other major signings include central defender Maxence Lacroix (£52m) from Crystal Palace, Italian right-back Marco Palestra (£43m) from Atalanta and Portuguese winger Geovany Quenda (£42.5m) from Sporting CP.
Fulham, on the other hand, surprised many when they announced the signing of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Garcia.
The Cottagers also signed Shea Charles from Southampton for a reported fee of £26 million.
As far as the match is concerned, this being a London derby tells us everything.
Form and previous records often go out of the window in these kinds of games.
However, Chelsea boast a dominant head-to-head record against Fulham.
In 91 matches across all competitions, Chelsea have recorded 53 wins, losing just 11 times, while 27 matches have ended in draws.
However, the most recent meeting between the two teams went in Fulham’s favor, with the Cottagers beating their neighbors 2-1 earlier this year.
Match odds
The market is still leaning towards Chelsea, who are priced as favorites at 11/10, while Fulham are at 12/5 to win the match.
The odds of a draw stand at 14/5.
Suggested bet
Both teams to score, Chelsea to win.
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