Gameweek 4 2026/27 preview: what the fourth round decides
By Arasi Rex · Updated 10 August 2026 · 7 min read
Gameweek 4 of the 2026/27 Premier League season runs from Saturday 12 September to Monday 14 September 2026, and the round everyone will describe by its biggest game is not defined by that game at all. Man Utd v Man City on Sunday afternoon pits third against second and gets the billing it deserves, yet the fixture that says more about the season's shape is Chelsea v Hull City on Saturday. Chelsea finished last season as the only club in the top half with as many defeats as wins, and a promoted club's trip to Stamford Bridge is where a mid-table season is defined. Gameweek 4 is the round where the promoted clubs finally meet the rest of the division, and where the mid-table stops being theoretical.
Gameweek 4 2026/27 fixtures: the full round
The round is Saturday-heavy: seven games on Saturday, two on Sunday and a Monday finish, and for the first time this season there is no Friday night opener. Here is the full fixture list.
| Date | Kickoff (BST) | Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 12 Sep | 15:00 | Bournemouth v Brentford |
| Sat 12 Sep | 15:00 | Aston Villa v Nott'm Forest |
| Sat 12 Sep | 15:00 | Chelsea v Hull City |
| Sat 12 Sep | 15:00 | Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town |
| Sat 12 Sep | 15:00 | Liverpool v Fulham |
| Sat 12 Sep | 17:30 | Spurs v Everton |
| Sat 12 Sep | 20:00 | Sunderland v Arsenal |
| Sun 13 Sep | 14:00 | Coventry City v Brighton |
| Sun 13 Sep | 16:30 | Man Utd v Man City |
| Mon 14 Sep | 20:00 | Leeds v Newcastle |
The season runs 33 weekend rounds and 5 midweek rounds from 21 August 2026 to 30 May 2027, and this is the first round to break the Friday night pattern of the opening three. The first round opened with the champions, the second with the runners-up, the third with a promoted side. Gameweek 4 simply starts on Saturday afternoon, and the calendar finally lets the weekend breathe.
The Manchester derby: a gap already priced in
Man Utd finished third on 71 points, seven behind Man City in second on 78, and the derby is the obvious headline. But look at the defences and the headline starts to look like an old story. United conceded 50 goals last season, the most of any top-four club, 23 more than champions Arsenal and 15 more than City. City, meanwhile, scored 77 goals, the most in the division, against United's 69. The gap between the clubs is already written into those numbers: a side that concedes 50 while chasing a side that scores 77 is not a side one result away from closing the gap. The derby will be a great game; it will not tell you anything about the title race that you could not have read in last season's final table.
Chelsea v Hull City: the round's real test
Chelsea finished 10th on 52 points with 14 wins, 10 draws and 14 defeats, the only club in the top half of the 2025/26 table with as many defeats as wins. Hull City are one of the three promoted clubs and arrive at Stamford Bridge with nothing to lose. That is the fixture that defines a mid-table season: a club with the division's most volatile top-half record hosting a side that is expected to lose. Clubs like Chelsea do not get relegated for losing these games, but they do get stuck in 10th for losing them, and 10th is exactly where they finished. Watch the derby for the spectacle, and watch this one for the season's shape.
The promoted clubs avoid the top seven
For the first time this season, none of the promoted trio face a side that finished in last season's top seven. Coventry City host Brighton, 8th on 53; Ipswich Town travel to Crystal Palace, 15th on 45, who scored 41 goals last season, the fewest of any club that stayed up; and Hull City are at Chelsea, 10th on 52. After three rounds of opening against the elite, the promoted clubs finally get fixtures where points are actually available, and how many they take decides how comfortable their survival looks by October. Our guide to the promoted clubs in 2026/27 covers how the trio came up.
Sunderland v Arsenal and the Monday closer
The champions' weekend is a Saturday night trip to the Stadium of Light. Arsenal won 2025/26 with 85 points and conceded 27 goals, the fewest in the division, while Sunderland, 7th on 54, are the top-seven side hosting them. The rest of the round fills out the middle: Spurs, 17th on 41, host Everton, 13th on 49; Liverpool, 5th on 60, host Fulham, 11th on 52; Aston Villa, 4th on 65, host Nott'm Forest, 16th on 44; Bournemouth, 6th on 57, host Brentford, 9th on 53. The Monday closer sends Leeds, 14th on 47, against Newcastle, 12th on 49, two points apart, the kind of mid-table meeting that decides 12th from 14th in May.
FPL and the Gameweek 4 deadline
For the first time in the young season there is no Friday night game, so the FPL deadline falls ahead of the Saturday afternoon kickoffs rather than a Friday opener, and transfers made after the first game starts count for Gameweek 5. The season's chip rules remain unchanged: the first chip set must be used before the gameweek 19 deadline of 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027 and cannot be carried over, while up to five free transfers can be rolled forward.
What Gameweek 4 really decides
Gameweek 4 decides whether the promoted clubs can bank points against the middle of the table, whether Chelsea can behave like a club that belongs above 10th, and whether the Manchester derby is a statement or a confirmation. The round's biggest game will be the one everyone watches, but the round's most useful game is the one most people will skip. Chelsea v Hull City tells you more about the season's shape than the derby ever will, and that is the point of Gameweek 4.
Key takeaways
- Gameweek 4 runs Saturday 12 September to Monday 14 September 2026, with seven Saturday games and no Friday night opener for the first time this season.
- The Manchester derby is third against second, but United conceded 50 goals last season, the most of any top-four club, 23 more than Arsenal and 15 more than City.
- Chelsea v Hull City is the round's real test: Chelsea finished 10th with 14 wins and 14 defeats, the only top-half club with as many defeats as wins.
- The promoted clubs avoid last season's top seven for the first time: Hull at Chelsea, Coventry v Brighton, Ipswich at Crystal Palace.
- The FPL Gameweek 4 deadline falls before the Saturday afternoon kickoffs, with the season's chip and free transfer rules unchanged.
FAQ
When is Gameweek 4 of the 2026/27 Premier League season?
From Saturday 12 September to Monday 14 September 2026: seven games on Saturday, Coventry City v Brighton and Man Utd v Man City on Sunday, and Leeds v Newcastle on Monday at 20:00 BST.
Which Gameweek 4 fixture should I watch?
Chelsea v Hull City. Chelsea finished 2025/26 as the only top-half club with as many defeats as wins (14 and 14), and a promoted club's trip to Stamford Bridge is where a mid-table season gets defined. For the billing, the Manchester derby on Sunday at 16:30.
Who do the promoted clubs play in Gameweek 4?
Hull City travel to Chelsea, Coventry City host Brighton, and Ipswich Town travel to Crystal Palace. It is the first round this season where none of the promoted trio face a side from last season's top seven.
When is the FPL Gameweek 4 deadline?
Before the Saturday afternoon kickoffs, because Gameweek 4 has no Friday night game. Transfers made after the first kickoff count for Gameweek 5.