A short history and where the 2026/27 season stands
The Premier League was founded in 1992, when the top clubs of England's First Division broke away from the Football League to form a new competition and take control of their own broadcasting and commercial rights. That split turned English top-flight football into one of the most-watched and highest-earning sports leagues in the world.
The format has stayed largely consistent: 20 clubs, each playing 38 matches (home and away against every other team), with three points for a win and one for a draw. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the Championship each season and replaced by three promoted sides. The 2026/27 campaign is the 35th Premier League season and the 128th season of top-flight English football overall.
Over its history the title has been dominated by a handful of clubs — most notably Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool — though the competition is known for its depth, with lower-table sides regularly taking points off the traditional powers.
The season opened on 21 August 2026, with defending champions Arsenal — winners of the 2025/26 title — hosting newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates. It runs through to a final matchday on 30 May 2027, when all ten fixtures kick off simultaneously.
Both the start and end were pushed back a week from the usual calendar to give players recovery time after the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, which finished in July. The schedule is made up of 33 weekend rounds and five midweek rounds.
The three promoted clubs this season are:
They replaced Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and West Ham United, who were relegated at the end of 2025/26.
One of the season's headline storylines is Manchester City beginning life after Pep Guardiola's long spell in charge. With the campaign only one matchweek old at the time of writing, the table is still taking shape and it's too early to read much into the standings.