Sunday date to start for Brighton - with second league game also set to move

[Getty Images] Brighton start as they mean to go on – beginning the 2026-27 season with a Sunday home game against Aston Villa . Fabian Hurzeler's side are in the unusual position of knowing their campaign as a whole will begin with a Conference League play-off first leg tie, with the second leg to follow in the first midweek of the season. That means the Villa game is on a Sunday and the trip to Chelsea that follows will also be shifted away from it's current Saturday slot on 29 August. Providing they reach the league phase, Brighton's squad depth will be tested by the first match coming between a trip to Sunderland and the home game with Crystal Palace , and the second coming after the Palace encounter and before a trip to Liverpool . As usual, Brighton are away on Boxing Day – at Fulham . They also have midweek away trips to Bournemouth and Manchester United . Hurzeler's side finish the campaign at home to Liverpool and away at Arsenal .