Arsenal enter 2026/27 in a position every club wants and every opponent wants to take away from them: Premier League champions. That changes the feel of the season. The question isn’t whether Arsenal can finally get over the line. It’s whether they can do it again.
Their title defense begins under the lights at the Emirates against newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, August 21. From there, Arsenal face Aston Villa away and Chelsea at home before September is even a week old. Later come another Champions League campaign, the North London derbies, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.
For supporters following the Gunners outside England, those matches won’t all necessarily appear in the same place. Premier League coverage changes by country, European matches have separate rights, and traveling can leave a streaming service that normally works at home unavailable in another region.
This guide follows Arsenal’s title defense while explaining how to watch the Gunners internationally, what England’s blackout means for certain fixtures and where a VPN fits when travel creates a geo-restriction.
Having trouble with your usual coverage while abroad? Jump to using a VPN for Arsenal.
Arsenal Aren’t Chasing Anymore
There’s a psychological difference between entering a season trying to become champions and entering it with everyone trying to knock you off the top. Arsenal know that feeling now. The Gunners enter 2026/27 as defending Premier League champions, and the fixture computer wastes very little time putting that status under pressure. Coventry provide the opening-night opposition at the Emirates, followed by a trip to Aston Villa and then Chelsea arriving in North London.
By the end of October, Arsenal will also have traveled to Liverpool. November brings Newcastle away and Manchester City at home, while December includes the first North London derby against Tottenham and Manchester United’s visit to the Emirates.
That’s before considering the Champions League. Arsenal are one of England’s five confirmed representatives in the competition for 2026/27, with the league phase beginning in September. Defending a Premier League title is already difficult. Trying to do it while navigating European nights and domestic cup football makes squad depth, injuries and fixture management part of the story almost immediately.
Opening Night at the Emirates
There’s something fitting about Arsenal starting the entire Premier League season. Arsenal vs. Coventry City is scheduled for Friday, August 21 at 8 p.m. UK time, with Sky Sports carrying the match domestically. Coventry arrive as one of the promoted clubs, while Arsenal begin the campaign carrying the expectations of the champions.
The next two matches should reveal considerably more. Arsenal go to Aston Villa on August 31 before hosting Chelsea on September 6, meaning the Gunners will face two established Premier League opponents within their opening three fixtures. Then comes a different kind of challenge: a trip to promoted Sunderland followed by Brighton away.
It’s an interesting opening month because it requires Arsenal to handle very different kinds of matches. The champions will have to break down teams that may be comfortable conceding possession while also dealing with opponents capable of putting them under sustained pressure. And every one of them begins with the same incentive for the opposition: beat the champions.
The North London Derby Hits Differently When Arsenal Have the Trophy
Arsenal’s season contains fixtures that may ultimately prove more important to the title race, but Tottenham will always occupy its own category. The first North London derby of 2026/27 takes Arsenal to Tottenham on December 5. Spurs then come to the Emirates on May 1. That second date immediately stands out.
May 1 is late enough for the league table to have very real consequences. If Arsenal are still defending their title at that point, a North London derby could become more than a rivalry match. Tottenham could have the opportunity to directly affect Arsenal’s championship hopes, while Arsenal could potentially do the same to whatever Spurs are pursuing.
Liverpool and Manchester City provide another kind of test. Arsenal travel to Anfield on October 31 and host Liverpool on February 6. Manchester City come to the Emirates on November 28 before Arsenal visit City on January 30.
Manchester United complete another recognizable pair of dates: December 19 at the Emirates and February 27 at Old Trafford. Rather than having one defining rivalry, Arsenal’s season is filled with matches carrying very different kinds of pressure.
Watching Arsenal Is About More Than Premier League Saturdays
This is where following Arsenal can get confusing if you simply subscribe to a Premier League service and assume you’re finished. Arsenal are also in the Champions League, with the 2026/27 league phase scheduled to begin in September. Domestic cup competitions add further matches later in the campaign.
Each competition can have separate broadcast agreements. So imagine this sequence: Arsenal play Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, a Champions League opponent during the week and then another domestic fixture the following weekend. You may need to look in different places even though you’re following the same club on the same television.
That is one of the first things to check when an Arsenal match seemingly disappears from your normal streaming service. Before thinking about blackouts, geo-restrictions or VPNs, ask: What competition are Arsenal playing in tonight?
The Arsenal Matchday Looks Different Around the World
A supporter in London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mumbai or Sydney can all be preparing for exactly the same Arsenal kickoff while using completely different services. The Premier League sells its international media rights by territory. NBC Sports holds the U.S. rights, Fubo holds Canada, Stan Sport has Australia and JioStar covers South Asia. Elsewhere, U-NEXT carries the league in Japan, SuperSport has Sub-Saharan Africa and beIN Sports covers the Middle East and North Africa.
Singapore is particularly interesting in 2026/27 because the Premier League has launched Premier League+ there with all 380 league matches available live and on demand. Arsenal’s opener against Coventry is included. Meanwhile, a supporter actually living in England operates under a different domestic broadcast system. That’s where the famous Saturday afternoon issue enters the picture.
Why Some Arsenal Matches Aren’t Live on UK Television
Not every Arsenal Premier League match is televised live domestically.
England retains a protected Saturday afternoon broadcast period. If an Arsenal fixture falls within that window, the match may not be shown live on UK television even though an authorized broadcaster elsewhere in the world carries it.
This isn’t a local Arsenal blackout based on your distance from the Emirates Stadium. It’s part of the wider domestic football broadcast structure.
There’s no reason to repeat the entire blackout system here. For the details on the Saturday window, international coverage and the difference between a blackout and a geo-restriction, see the Premier League blackout and geo-restriction guide.
For Arsenal supporters, the practical takeaway is simpler: check the kickoff time and UK television selection before assuming something is wrong with your stream.
Arsenal’s Schedule Can Change After You Bookmark It
There’s another wrinkle worth knowing about this season. Premier League fixtures aren’t set permanently just because the original schedule has been released. Matches can move because of live television selections and domestic or European cup commitments. With nine Premier League clubs involved in UEFA competitions in 2026/27, the league specifically warns supporters about the scheduling effects European progression can create. That’s particularly relevant for Arsenal because they’re balancing a Champions League schedule with their title defense.
A match originally listed for Saturday afternoon could eventually move to Friday, Sunday or Monday. Kickoff times can change as television selections are announced, and cup progression can create additional movement. So if you’re planning to watch Arsenal several weeks in advance—especially while traveling—check the fixture again closer to matchday.
When Traveling Changes Your Arsenal Stream
International travel introduces a different problem. Suppose you normally follow Arsenal using a streaming service in your home country. You go abroad, open the same app before kickoff and discover that the match is unavailable. That doesn’t necessarily mean your subscription stopped working. You’ve entered another broadcast territory.
Streaming services can use an IP address to estimate where a connection originates. Because Premier League media rights are sold geographically, the content available through a service can change when you’re outside its normal region.
That’s a geo-restriction, and it’s different from England’s Saturday blackout.
This is the situation where a VPN becomes relevant.
Using a VPN for Arsenal While Traveling
A VPN routes your internet connection through a server you select. Websites and streaming services then see the IP address associated with that server rather than the IP address assigned by your current network.
For an Arsenal supporter traveling internationally, that provides a method for changing the location associated with the connection when an existing streaming service becomes geo-restricted. It doesn’t provide a streaming subscription, and it doesn’t guarantee that every service or match will be accessible.
Our choice for this use case is ExpressVPN. Its international server availability makes it useful for travelers, while its fast connections and broad device support are well suited to live sports.
The process is straightforward: install ExpressVPN, connect to the appropriate server location, then open the streaming service you normally use and sign into your account. If Arsenal still aren’t showing, check the competition and broadcaster before assuming the VPN is the problem.
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The Stretch That Could Decide Arsenal’s Title Defense
Championship seasons aren’t usually decided by one weekend, but certain parts of a fixture list immediately stand out. Arsenal’s late-season schedule could be fascinating. April begins with Coventry away before Aston Villa visit the Emirates. Arsenal then travel to Bournemouth before entering May with the North London derby against Tottenham at home.
After Spurs comes Leeds away, Nottingham Forest at home, Everton away and Brighton at the Emirates on the final day. Notice what’s absent from that run. Liverpool. Manchester City. Manchester United. Chelsea. Arsenal are scheduled to finish their matches against all four before the final stretch.
That could be enormously important. If the Gunners enter April in contention, their title defense may ultimately depend on consistently taking points from teams outside the traditional group of championship rivals rather than surviving a gauntlet of heavyweight fixtures.
Of course, that’s assuming the schedule survives European and domestic cup adjustments relatively intact. For now, it’s one of the more interesting features of Arsenal’s 2026/27 calendar.
Arsenal Streaming and VPN FAQ
How can I watch Arsenal in the United States?
NBC Sports holds U.S. Premier League rights through 2027/28, with all 380 matches included in the agreement. Check the individual Arsenal fixture to determine which NBCUniversal platform is carrying it.
Why isn’t an Arsenal match on my usual streaming service?
Check the competition first. Arsenal are playing Premier League and Champions League football in 2026/27, with domestic cups also part of the season. Those competitions can have different broadcasters.
Can a VPN help unblock Arsenal while traveling?
A VPN provides a method for changing the IP address and location associated with your connection by routing it through a server you select. This can be useful for geo-restricted content while traveling, but it doesn’t guarantee access to a particular service.
Can Arsenal Do It Again?
That’s the question hanging over everything in 2026/27. The Gunners aren’t trying to end a title wait this time. They’re trying to prove that winning the Premier League wasn’t the end of the story.
It starts against Coventry under the Emirates lights. Chelsea arrive almost immediately, Liverpool wait at Anfield in October, Manchester City and Tottenham provide very different tests before Christmas, and Champions League football adds another layer to an already demanding schedule.
For supporters around the world, following that title defense means knowing where each competition is being shown and understanding that the answer can change when you travel. When international travel makes an existing stream geo-restricted, a VPN provides one method for changing the location associated with your connection. Then the technology becomes secondary again. The interesting part is seeing whether Arsenal can still be holding the trophy when Brighton visit the Emirates on May 30.
