The new Premier League fixtures for the 2025/26 season were released last week, and it’s fair to say there’s plenty to get our teeth into.

The anticipation has been building, and now we can start plotting our away days, circling those crucial home games, and dreaming of what this coming season could bring.

We kick off with a trip to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Saturday, August 16th, a lunchtime kick-off on TNT Sports. A challenging start, but what better way to lay down a marker?

We then welcome Liverpool to St. James’ Park the following weekend before a visit to newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road to round off August. It’s a proper baptism of fire, but this is the Premier League, isn’t it?

We’ve mapped it out below, showing not only our 38 fixtures home and away, but Champions League dates and both cup competitions as we head into a busy campaign on four fronts:

European Adventures and cup competitions

But it’s not just the league we’ve got to look forward to. This season, our beloved Magpies will be competing on multiple fronts, and that means cup runs!

We’re back in the UEFA Champions League, and the draw for the league phase is on Thursday, August 28th. Eight European nights await us, with four at the fortress that is St. James’ Park and four on the road. Let’s hope for some memorable trips and some huge scalps.

And let’s not forget the domestic cups! We are the holders of the Carabao Cup after that glorious win at Wembley in March against Liverpool.

We’ll enter that competition in the third round (w/c 22nd September) just before a home tie with Arsenal, and you can bet Eddie Howe and the lads will be desperate to defend our crown.

The FA Cup also beckons, with our journey starting in the third round in January. Could this be the season we finally bring that famous trophy back to Tyneside after all these years? The prospect of multiple Wembley trips and European nights under the lights is enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up!

Derby days are back!

Now, for the fixture that everyone on Tyneside has been waiting for: the Tyne-Wear derby!

After what feels like an eternity, Sunderland are back in the Premier League, and that means the biggest game in North East football returns to the top flight.

We’ll be heading to the Stadium of Light on Saturday, December 13th, and the reverse fixture at St. James’ Park is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st.

Get those dates etched into your memory, folks. These aren’t just games; they’re battles for bragging rights, and we’ll need every single one of you in full voice to roar the lads on.

Squad depth needed

With so many fixtures across four competitions, the importance of strengthening our squad cannot be overstated. We’ve seen in previous seasons how injuries and a lack of depth can derail a promising campaign.

While we have a strong core of players, competing at the highest level in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup demands a robust and deep squad.

Eddie Howe has done wonders with the resources available, but to truly compete for silverware on all fronts, we need more quality and more options.

The club’s recent caution in the transfer market due to PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) has been frustrating for fans, but reports suggest there might be more room to manoeuvre this summer. We need to back Eddie Howe to bring in the right players – not just for the starting XI, but for genuine competition and rotation. We need players who can step in seamlessly when injuries hit or when fatigue sets in during those relentless periods of back-to-back games.

This season promises to be an exhilarating ride. Let’s embrace the challenge, get behind the team, and demand that the club does everything in its power to give Eddie Howe the tools he needs to succeed. Howay the Lads!