The summer pre‑season schedule has now concluded for every club in England's top division, and the squads are ready to embark on the official campaign that kicks off on August 21. Below is a comprehensive recap of the friendly fixtures, tournament outings and showcase matches that each of the twenty Premier League sides played over the past few weeks, along with a brief look at the broader football calendar and broadcasting options for fans.
Arsenal Arsenal finished their preparatory phase with a series of high‑profile games. They opened the month on July 25 with a 3‑0 victory over MK Dons at their training ground, then travelled to Spain to beat Girona 4‑1 on July 31.
A challenging trip to Dublin saw them lose 3‑1 to Real Betis on August 5, followed by a 3‑2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates on August 9. The Gunners drew 1‑1 with Como on August 12, winning the penalty shoot‑out 4‑3. Their summer culminated in the Community Shield on August 16, where they triumphed 3‑0 over Manchester City in Cardiff, securing silverware before the league begins.
Aston Villa Villa’s itinerary was packed with international opposition. After a dominant 5‑0 win over Walsall at Bescot Stadium on July 21, they suffered a narrow 2‑1 loss to Porto on July 25. A high‑scoring 4‑2 defeat to Real Sociedad followed on July 28, and they then travelled to Jakarta for a 3‑1 win over an Indonesia All‑Stars side on August 1.
The club continued its Asian tour with a 3‑1 victory over BG Pathum United in Thailand on August 4, before a 2‑1 loss to Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on August 7. They featured in the UEFA Super Cup on August 12, falling 2‑1 to Paris Saint‑Germain in Salzburg, and wrapped up the month with a 2‑1 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Borussia‑Park on August 15.
Bournemouth Bournemouth’s pre‑season featured a blend of German and Spanish opposition. They began with a 4‑1 win over St Pauli in Saalfelden on July 24, then thrashed Augsburg 5‑2 on July 30.
On August 4 they recorded a staggering 10‑1 victory over Genoa behind closed doors at their training ground. A 2‑2 draw with Real Betis in Seville came on August 8, and they concluded their summer with a 2‑1 win over Mainz at the Mewa Arena on August 15. Brentford Brentford’s preparations were more low‑key but effective.
They opened with a 3‑2 win over AFC Wimbledon behind closed doors on July 15, then travelled to France for a 4‑2 victory against Rennes at the Stade Rennais on August 8. Their final friendly was a dominant 7‑0 display against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Gtech Community Stadium on August 15.
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton began with a 4‑1 win over Wycombe at their training ground on July 18. After a short trip to France where they beat Annecy 4‑0 on July 25, they travelled to Austria for a 4‑3 win over Strasbourg on August 1. The Seagulls then secured a 3‑0 victory over Roma at the Amex on August 8 and capped the pre‑season with a 1‑0 win over Bologna at the same venue on August 15. Chelsea Chelsea’s summer itinerary spanned three continents.
They opened with a 6‑4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney on July 28, then lost 2‑1 to Tottenham in the same city on August 1. A narrow 1‑0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong followed on August 5, before they beat AC Milan 3‑0 in Jakarta on August 8.
After a 3‑3 draw with Johor Darul Ta'zim on August 9, the Blues secured a 3‑1 win over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on August 15. Coventry City Coventry’s schedule included a 3‑2 win over AFC Wimbledon behind closed doors on July 11 and a goalless draw with Northampton on July 18.
They then travelled to Spain, beating Espanyol 3‑1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena on August 8, and followed that with a 2‑0 victory over Monaco at the same ground on August 14. Crystal Palace Palace began with a 5‑1 win over Swindon at their training ground on July 18, before a 3‑0 loss to Bromley at Hayes Lane on July 25.
They played two 45‑minute exhibition matches on July 28, losing 3‑0 to Lens and drawing 0‑0 with Famalicão. A 3‑1 win over Al Ula on July 31 was followed by a 2‑1 loss to Fulham at a closed‑door training ground on August 7, and they finished with a 3‑0 defeat to Freiburg at the Europa‑Park Stadion on August 15.
Everton Everton’s pre‑season featured a series of European trips. They began with a 4‑0 win over Dundee at Dens Park on July 18, then drew 0‑0 with Bolton on July 25. A 1‑0 loss to Stoke at the bet365 Stadium on July 28 was followed by a 2‑1 defeat to Hamburg on August 1.
They then beat Stuttgart 3‑1 at the MHP Arena on August 8, won 3‑1 against Newcastle at Murrayfield on August 12, and drew 1‑1 with Lille on August 15. Fulham Fulham’s summer included a 1‑1 draw with Al Ahli in Portugal on July 28, a 2‑1 loss to Palace at a closed‑door training ground on August 7, and a 1‑0 victory over Stuttgart at Craven Cottage on August 15. Hull City Hull started with a 3‑0 win over Konyaspor in Slovenia on July 25, then beat Caykur Rizespor 2‑1 on July 28.
They drew 1‑1 with Kasımpasa in Istanbul on August 1, suffered a 2‑0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on August 8, and finished with a 0‑0 stalemate against Nice at the MKM Stadium on August 15. Ipswich Town Ipswich’s itinerary featured a 2‑1 loss to Osasuna in Colchester on July 29, a 2‑0 win over Oxford at the Kassam Stadium on August 1, and a 2‑1 defeat to Wycombe at Adams Park the same day.
They then beat Le Havre 1‑0 at Portman Road on August 4, thrashed Rayo Vallecano 3‑0 on August 8, and concluded with a 4‑2 victory over Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei on August 15. Leeds United Leeds began with a 3‑2 loss to Wrexham on July 26, then beat Sunderland 1‑0 in New Jersey on July 31. They recorded a dramatic 4‑2 win over Liverpool in Chicago on August 2, followed by a 2‑0 victory over RB Leipzig in a 120‑minute match at Elland Road on August 8.
After a 1‑1 draw with Manchester United in Dublin that went to penalties (United won 5‑4) on August 12, Leeds wrapped up with a 4‑0 win over Augsburg at Elland Road on August 15. Liverpool Liverpool’s summer featured a 4‑2 win over Sunderland in Nashville on July 25, a 1‑0 victory over Wrexham in New York on July 30, a 4‑2 win over Leeds in Chicago on August 2, a 3‑2 loss to Monaco at Anfield on August 9, and a 2‑0 win over Como at Anfield on August 16. Manchester City City’s pre‑season started with a 1‑1 draw against Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1, losing on penalties 1‑3.
They then beat the K‑League All‑Stars 3‑0 in Seoul on August 5, defeated Atletico Madrid 3‑1 in Seoul on August 9, and concluded with a 3‑0 win over Arsenal in the Community Shield in Cardiff on August 16. Manchester United United opened with a 1‑0 loss to Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, then enjoyed a 5‑0 win over Rosenborg in Trondheim on July 24. They beat Atletico Madrid 2‑1 in Stockholm on August 1, drew 1‑1 with PSG in Gothenburg on August 8, lost a penalty shoot‑out to Leeds after a 1‑1 draw in Dublin on August 12, and were beaten 4‑2 by AC Milan in Wroclaw on August 15.
Newcastle United Newcastle began with a 3‑0 win over Darlington behind closed doors on July 18, drew 1‑1 with Gateshead on July 25, then thrashed Bristol City 4‑1 at Ashton Gate on July 29. They beat Valencia 2‑1 at the Mestalla on August 8, lost 3‑1 to Everton at Murrayfield on August 12, fell 2‑1 to Bayer Leverkusen at St James' Park on August 15, and drew 1‑1 with Strasbourg at the same venue on August 16. Nottingham Forest Forest’s summer saw a 2‑0 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane on July 18, a 3‑0 victory over Blackburn in Portugal on July 22, a 1‑1 draw with Vitoria in Portugal on July 26, a 2‑1 win over Portimonense in the Algarve on July 31, and a 4‑1 triumph over Sporting in the same region on July 31. They then lost 1‑0 to Udinese in Udine on August 8, were beaten 1‑0 by Barcelona in Udine the same day, beat Bayer Leverkusen 2‑1 at the City Ground on August 12, and finished with a 2‑0 win over Brest at the City Ground on August 16.
Sunderland Sunderland opened with a 5‑1 loss to York City on July 18, then beat Liverpool 4‑2 in Nashville on July 25. They lost 1‑0 to Leeds in New Jersey on July 31, beat Wrexham 1‑0 in Philadelphia on August 2, suffered a 4‑1 loss to Lens at a closed‑door training ground on August 8, then beat Lens 2‑0 at Stade Bollaert‑Delelis later that day. They concluded with a 2‑1 win over Rennes at the Stadium of Light on August 15. Tottenham Hotspur Spurs started with a 1‑0 win over MK Dons at their training ground on July 22, then beat Auckland FC 2‑0 on July 26.
They drew 1‑1 with Sydney FC on July 29 (winning 4‑2 on penalties), beat Chelsea 2‑1 in Sydney on August 1, drew 1‑1 with Getafe at a closed‑door training ground on August 8, and secured a 3‑0 win over Hoffenheim at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 15, before drawing 2‑2 with Hoffenheim behind closed doors on August 16. Beyond the matches, Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,500 live games across the Premier League, Women’s Super League, EFL and Scottish Premiership in the 2026/27 season, including a minimum of 215 Premier League fixtures. Subscribers can stream all live action via the Sky Sports app, while non‑subscribers can explore flexible, contract‑free options through NOW TV. Key dates to remember: the Premier League season kicks off on August 21, the Champions League group‑stage draw follows on August 27, with the group phase running from September 8‑10.
The FA Cup third round begins on January 9, the Champions League knockout phase starts on February 16, the Carabao Cup final is set for March 21, and the Premier League concludes on May 30. The season caps off with the Champions League final on June 5 at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Fans are also invited to join the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, with free entry available through the Sky Sports platform.