Home start under new boss - but Man City face tough run-in

[BBC] [Getty Images] Manchester City begin life without Pep Guardiola by hosting Bournemouth on Sunday, 23 August in their opening game of the 2026-27 Premier League season. City face champions Arsenal in the Community Shield the week before, but face a tough started against the Cherries, who ended last term with a remarkable 18-game unbeaten run. Eyes then turned to when they come up against rivals Manchester United , with those two matches scheduled to take place in September at Old Trafford and March at Etihad Stadium, while they face the Gunners in November (a) and January (h). Should Enzo Maresca take charge as expected, he will face his former club Chelsea away in December and then at home in April, while City are scheduled to travel to Newcastle United on Boxing Day. City pushed Arsenal all the way in the title race last season but have a tough-looking run-in this time around, hosting Champions League qualified Liverpool and Aston Villa in May. They also have a long trip to Ipswich Town in the final month of the campaign, rounding off the season by travelling up north to face Sunderland , who have qualified for the Europa League. Yes, all teams play the same amount of games home and away against each other, but the fixtures could have fallen more kindly for City in the latter part of the season. Check out City's full fixture list here