Sunderland's 2026/27 Premier League fixtures start with a trip to Ipswich on the opening weekend, then build towards a December Tyne-Wear derby at Newcastle and a final-day meeting with Manchester City. That is a demanding draw for a side coming off 7th place and 54 points in 2025, and it sits alongside a Europa League return that will stretch the squad even further.
Why Sunderland's run looks punishing
The league calendar asks plenty of Sunderland. They finished 7th with 54 points from 38 matches, which is a strong base, but the follow-up is not gentle. Sky Sports reported that Sunderland travel to Ipswich on the opening weekend and wait until Saturday December 5 for their first derby against Newcastle. They then end the season at home to Manchester City on Saturday May 30.
The fixtures also give Sunderland a clear early sense of scale. Newcastle's 12th-place finish last season does not make the derby any less charged, while Manchester City at the end is the sort of closing game that can shape the tone of a campaign. For Sunderland, the schedule does not offer much room to settle before the big tests start arriving.
Ipswich are also dropped straight in at the deep end
Ipswich's own opening run is awkward in a different way. Their first three league fixtures are Sunderland at home, Manchester United away and Liverpool at home, which Sky Sports described as a difficult start for the newly-promoted side. Kieran McKenna's team are not being handed any breathing space early on.
That does not mean the opening three are the hardest in the division, because that claim has its own debate attached. But they are plainly severe, and the route Ipswich face in August already looks like one of the most awkward introductions any promoted team could get.
For Sunderland, the headline is simpler. The first weekend sends them straight into a test, the derby lands in December, and the season ends against Manchester City. If they want their 2025 momentum to carry into 2026/27, they will have to show it early.
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