Every Premier League team’s pre-season schedule ranked by difficulty
With the new Premier League season just around the corner, teams are travelling far and wide to make sure players are physically, tactically and mentally prepared for next month’s opener.
As well as building match fitness, pre-season allows teams to integrate some of their summer signings.
Arsenal, for example, will begin their Premier League title defence on August 21, when they host Coventry City in the opening game of the 2026-27 campaign, but before that Friday night game, they will take part in five games.
Here, fans will likely get the chance to watch some new faces in action. Earlier this month, goalkeeper Illan Meslier joined the North London club on a free transfer following the expiry of his Leeds contract.
More recently, Arsenal completed a £33.8million deal with Belgian side Club Brugge for highly-rated Greek winger Christos Tzolis, who will likely be a direct replacement for Leandro Trossard.
Mikel Arteta is also keen to bolster his midfield options this summer, with Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes being strongly linked with a move.
Arsenal are ready to make a move for Bruno Guimaraes in a deal worth a reported £70million. Image credit: Getty
So, how will the defending champions, as well the other 19 Premier League clubs, prepare for the 2026-27 campaign? Here is every team’s pre-season schedule, along with our assessment of how difficult their fixture list is.
Arsenal
Difficulty rating out: 7.5
1 August – Girona (A)
5 August – Real Betis (Dublin)
9 August – Borussia Dortmund (H)
12 August: As (H)
16 August – FA Community Shield v Man City
Difficulty rating: 8.5
21 July – Aston Villa 5-0 Walsall (A)
25 July – Porto (A)
28 July – Real Sociedad (Walsall)
1 August – Indonesia All-Stars (Jakarta)
4 August – BG Pathum United (Pathum Thani)
7 August – Bayern Munich (Hong Kong)
12 August – UEFA Super Cup – PSG (Salzburg)
15 August – Borussia Monchengladbach (A)
Difficulty rating: 7
24 July – St. Pauli (Saalfelden)
30 July – Augsburg (Saalfelden)
4 August – Genoa (behind closed doors)
8 August – Real Betis (Seville)
15 August – Mainz (Mewa Arena)
Difficulty rating: 6
15 July – Brentford 3-2 AFC Wimbledon
8 August – Rennes (A)
15 August – Eintracht Frankfurt (London)
Difficulty rating: 7
18 July – Brighton 4-1 Wycombe Wanderers
25 July – Annecy (behind closed doors)
1 August – Strasbourg (behind closed doors)
8 August – Roma (H)
15 August – Bologna (H)
Brighton will come up against Strasbourg and Roma this summer. Image credit: Getty
Difficulty rating: 8
28 July – Western Sydney Wanderers (Sydney)
1 August – Spurs (Sydney)
5 August – Juventus (Hong Kong)
8 August – AC Milan (Jakarta)
9 August – Johor Darul Ta’zim (Johor)
15 August – Royal Society (H)
Coventry City
Difficulty rating: 6
11 July – Wimbledon 3-2 Coventry (behind closed doors)
18 July – Northampton Town 0-0 Coventry (A)
8 August – Espanyol (H)
14 August – Monaco (H)
Difficulty rating: 6.5
18 July – Crystal Palace 5-1 Swindon (Crystal Palace Academy)
25 July – Bromley (Hayes Lane)
28 July – Lens (Lake Como)
28 July – Famalicao (Lake Como)
15 August – Freiburg (Europa-Park Stadium)
Difficulty rating: 7.5
18 July – Dundee 0-4 Everton (A)
25 July – Bolton (A)
28 July – Stoke (A)
1 August – Hamburg (A)
8 August – Stuttgart (A)
12 August – Newcastle (Edinburgh)
15 August – Lille (H)
Difficulty rating: 5
28 July – Al-Ahli (A)
15 August – Stuttgart (H)
Difficulty rating: 6.5
25 July – Konyaspor (Slovenia)
28 July – Caykur Rizespor (Slovenia)
1 August – Kasimpasa (Istanbul)
8 August – Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
15 August – OGC Nice (H)
Ipswich Town
Difficulty rating: 6.5
29 July – Health (Colchester)
1 August – Oxford Utd (A)
1 August – Wycombe (A)
4 August – Le Havre (H)
8 August – Rayo Vallecano (H)
15 August – Union Berlin (Berlin)
Ipswich will take on Rayo Vallecano and Union Berlin in pre-season. Image credit: Getty
Leeds United
Difficulty rating: 8.5
25 July – Wrexham (Tampa)
30 July – Sunderland (New Jersey)
2 August – Liverpool (Chicago)
8 August – RB Leipzig (H)
12 August – Man Utd (Dublin)
Difficulty rating: 8
25 July – Sunderland (Nashville)
29 July – Wrexham (New York)
2 August – Leeds (Chicago)
9 August – Monaco (Anfield)
16 August – Como (behind closed doors)
16 August – Like (Anfield)
Difficulty rating: 7.5
1 August – Inter Milan (Hong Kong)
5 August – K-League All-Stars (Seoul)
9 August – Atletico Madrid (Seoul)
16 August – FA Community Shield v Arsenal (Cardiff)
Difficulty rating: 8.5
18 July Man Utd 0-1 Wrexham (Helsinki)
24 July – Rosenborg (Trondheim)
1 August – Atletico Madrid (Stockholm)
8 August – Paris Saint-Germain (Gothenburg)
12 August – Leeds (Dublin)
15 August – AC Milan (Wroclaw)
Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in their pre-season opener. Image credit: Getty
Newcastle United
Difficulty rating: 8
18 July – Newcastle 3-0 Darlington (behind closed doors)
25 July – Gateshead (A)
29 July – Bristol City (A)
8 August – Valencia (A)
12 August – Everton (Edinburgh)
15 August – Bayer Leverkusen (H)
16 August – Strasbourg (H)
Difficulty rating: 8.5
18 July – Notts County 0-2 Nott’m Forest (A)
22 July – Nott’m Forest 3-0 Blackburn (Albufeira)
26 July – Vitoria (behind closed doors)
31 July – Sporting (Faro)
8 August – Udinese (Udine)
8 August – Barcelona (Udine)
12 August – Bayer Leverkusen (H)
16 August – Brest (H)
Difficulty rating: 8
18 July – York City 1-5 Sunderland (York)
25 July – Liverpool (Nashville)
30 July – Leeds (New Jersey)
2 August – Wrexham (Philadelphia)
8 August – Lens (behind closed doors)
8 August – Lens (Lens)
15 August – Rennes (Stadium of Light)
Difficulty rating: 8
22 July – MK Dons (behind closed doors)
26 July – Auckland FC (Auckland)
29 July – Sydney FC (Sydney)
1 August – Chelsea (Sydney)
8 August – Getafe (behind closed doors)
15 August – Hoffenheim (H)
16 August – Hoffenheim (behind closed doors)
