The Premier League's 2026/27 season is under way. Defending champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium this evening (Friday 21 August, 19:00 UTC, live on Sky Sports), kicking off a campaign that runs 33 weekends and five midweek match rounds through to Sunday 30 May 2027.
It is a later start than usual. The Premier League pushed the whole calendar back a week this year to give players proper recovery time after the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, which finished on 19 July. That leaves 89 clear days between the end of last season and kick-off tonight. Clubs have also been promised at least a 60-hour gap between fixtures over Christmas and New Year to ease the usual festive pile-up, and Boxing Day itself gets a fuller programme than last year, when only one match was shown live. Nine Premier League clubs are competing in UEFA competitions again this season, so expect the usual run of rescheduled kick-offs once European football gets going in September.
Opening Weekend: Every Fixture and Kick-Off Time
Four match days, ten games, and Arsenal get first crack at proving last season's title win was no fluke. Here is the full opening round, converted to UTC for African viewers.
| Date | Kick-off (UTC) | Fixture | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 21 Aug | 19:00 | Arsenal v Coventry City | Sky Sports |
| Sat 22 Aug | 11:30 | Hull City v Manchester United | TNT Sports |
| Sat 22 Aug | 14:00 | Everton v Crystal Palace | โ |
| Sat 22 Aug | 14:00 | Ipswich Town v Sunderland | โ |
| Sat 22 Aug | 14:00 | Nottingham Forest v Leeds United | โ |
| Sat 22 Aug | 16:30 | Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur | Sky Sports |
| Sun 23 Aug | 13:00 | Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa | Sky Sports |
| Sun 23 Aug | 13:00 | Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth | Sky Sports |
| Sun 23 Aug | 15:30 | Newcastle United v Liverpool | Sky Sports |
| Mon 24 Aug | 19:00 | Fulham v Chelsea | Sky Sports |
Brighton's game moved to the Sunday because of their UEFA Conference League play-off the previous Thursday, and Sunderland's trip to Ipswich shifted once Fulham v Chelsea was pushed to Monday night. Fixture reshuffles like this happen most weeks once European football gets going, so always check the live odds page closer to kick-off rather than trusting a schedule printed weeks in advance.
Arsenal Head the Title Market Again, and the Price Just Tightened
Arsenal go into the new season as reigning champions and beat Manchester City 16 August in the FA Community Shield, a result the market reacted to immediately. According to bet365 pricing tracked by Oddspedia, Arsenal shortened from 6/4 to 5/4 on 17 August off the back of that win, while City's own odds drifted from 11/4 out to 7/2.
| Team | Fractional odds | Decimal odds | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 5/4 | 2.25 | 44.4% |
| Manchester City | 7/2 | 4.50 | 22.2% |
| Liverpool | 5/1 | 6.00 | 16.7% |
| Manchester United | 7/1 | 8.00 | 12.5% |
| Chelsea | 8/1 | 9.00 | 11.1% |
Odds correct as of 17 August 2026 and will move throughout the season. Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said after the Community Shield that Arsenal "have a very good chance of winning the league again," and the market is already pricing that in. Treat the table above as a snapshot, not a locked-in outcome, and always check current odds with your bookmaker before placing anything.
Manchester City are the obvious watch. This is their first full season working under Enzo Maresca's setup without Pep Guardiola on the touchline, and early trading suggests bookmakers aren't yet convinced the transition will be seamless. Liverpool and a resurgent Chelsea round out the sides most punters are backing behind the top two, while Manchester United sit fifth in the market after a mixed pre-season.
Coventry City and Ipswich Town Are Back in the Top Flight
Coventry City arrive in the Premier League for the first time in decades after going up via the Championship, and they could not have been handed a tougher opener than a trip to the champions on the opening night. Ipswich Town's return is the quicker turnaround of the two: they were relegated after the 2024/25 season and are already playing their first game back in the top flight, hosting Sunderland on the opening Saturday. Both clubs will be short-priced outsiders for relegation from day one, but promoted sides have surprised bigger names before, and early-season markets against newly promoted teams are often where value sits before bookmakers adjust their pricing a few games in.
Betting Markets Worth Knowing for Opening Weekend
Outright title odds get the headlines, but most match-day staking on the Premier League happens in smaller markets that update every round:
- Match result (1X2) โ the simplest market, backing a home win, away win or draw for a single fixture.
- Both teams to score (BTTS) โ a good fit for fixtures like Newcastle v Liverpool, where both sides are expected to attack.
- Over/under goals โ total-goals markets tend to price differently for newly promoted sides like Coventry and Ipswich until bookmakers have a few matches of form to work with.
- Anytime goalscorer โ popular for accumulators once the season's early top scorers start to emerge.
- Live/in-play betting โ the market keeps moving after kick-off, which is where a bookmaker's live streaming and cash-out tools actually matter.
How African Bettors Can Follow Every Fixture
SuperSport, broadcast across DStv and GOtv, remains the main way Premier League football reaches Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and most of the rest of the continent this season, alongside Europe's other major leagues. The Premier League itself is the most heavily bet-on competition across all four of those markets, and every major bookmaker builds its weekly markets around it. Bet9ja and SportyBet carry the deepest match-market coverage for Nigerian punters, while Betway and Hollywoodbets are the go-to names for South African bettors following the Premier League alongside their own Betway Premiership.
Whichever platform you use, the same season-long principles apply: set a staking plan before the opening whistle, treat outright title odds as entertainment rather than a certainty, and never chase a Friday-night loss into Saturday's early kick-off.
South African fans specifically have a run of local, FICA-verified bookmakers built for exactly this kind of weekly match-day betting, and international brands like Linebet and 22Bet are active across most of the continent with dedicated Premier League markets. A quick reference for six of them, including where SifuFinds' own SIFUKAI promo code applies, is below.
| Bookmaker | Welcome offer | Where it operates | SIFUKAI code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22Bet | 100% deposit bonus | Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and more | Yes |
| Linebet | 100% first deposit bonus | Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and most SifuFinds-covered countries | Yes |
| TicTacBets | 25 free spins + 100% match up to R5,000 | South Africa only | Yes |
| Playbet | 100% deposit bonus up to R2,000 | South Africa only | Yes |
| BetXchange | R200 free bet on first deposit | South Africa only | No |
| Bettabets | R200 free bet on first deposit | South Africa only | No |
Bonus terms change and are set by each bookmaker, not SifuFinds, so confirm the live offer and wagering requirements on the operator's own site before depositing.
FAQ
When does the Premier League 2026/27 season start?
The season kicked off on Friday 21 August 2026, with defending champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium at 19:00 UTC (20:00 UK time), live on Sky Sports.
Why did the Premier League start later than usual this year?
The 2026/27 season was pushed back a week to give players more recovery time after the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, which finished on 19 July 2026. That leaves 89 clear days between the end of the 2025/26 season and this season's opening weekend.
Who are the favourites to win the Premier League this season?
Arsenal are the clear market favourites at 5/4 (2.25) with bet365, having shortened from 6/4 after beating Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August. Manchester City (7/2), Liverpool (5/1), Manchester United (7/1) and Chelsea (8/1) make up the rest of the top five as of 17 August 2026.
When does the 2026/27 Premier League season finish?
The final round of matches is scheduled for Sunday 30 May 2027, with all ten fixtures kicking off simultaneously at 16:00 UK time, a week before the 2027 Champions League final.
How can I watch the Premier League in Nigeria, Kenya or South Africa?
SuperSport, available on DStv and GOtv, carries Premier League coverage across most of the continent this season. Several bookmakers, including Linebet, also offer live streaming or in-play match trackers alongside their betting markets.
Can bettors in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa bet on the Premier League?
Yes. Bet9ja and SportyBet carry deep Premier League coverage for Nigerian bettors, Betway and Hollywoodbets are widely used across South Africa and Kenya, and international brands such as Linebet and 22Bet operate Premier League markets across most African markets covered by SifuFinds.
18+ | Bet Responsibly | T&Cs Apply