Why is the Premier League starting a week later this year? When do Arsenal kick off their title defence this season?

By Anthony Nolan | 15 Aug 2026 03:39

The 2026-27 Premier League campaign kicks off next week, and will see champions Arsenal battling to retain their hard-fought crown.

Mikel Arteta's Gunners are set to welcome newly-promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21, beginning the season roughly a week later than last term.

The top flight will also end later than usual, and the altered calendar will have a knock-on effect for the FA Cup schedule.

Here, Sports Mole covers all you need to know about why the Premier League season starts a week later this year.

Why does the 2026-27 Premier League season start a week later?

This summer's footballing landscape was dominated by World Cup 2026, which kicked off on June 11 and ended on July 19, when Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final.

With more emphasis being put on player welfare in recent years, the decision was made to delay the opening matchday of the Premier League season to allow for those participating in the World Cup to rest adequately.

All-in-all, there will be 88 days between the end of the last Premier League season and the opening to 2026-27, as well as 32 days of rest from the World Cup final to Arsenal's showdown against Coventry.

Aside from shifting the top flight's kick off date, the World Cup has caused the Community Shield - between the Gunners and Manchester City - to take place six days later than last term.

When does the 2026-27 Premier League season end? Are the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals impacted?

The final day of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign was May 24, but the season will draw to a close on May 30, 2027 this time around.

Moving the calendar a week later overall also means that the FA Cup final will be held on May 22, 2027, six days later than it was in 2025-26.

However, the EFL Cup final will be played on March 21, 2027 - one day earlier than last term - owing its largely unchanged scheduling to the fact that the competition takes place mid-season.