Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to a superb second-half performance at Bournemouth last weekend.
Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota each scored twice in the 4-0 win at the Vitality Stadium to lead Jurgen Klopp’s team away from Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa, all on 43 points.
Champions City have a game in hand and did not take part in the most recent games while they enjoyed their mid-season break. Similarly, Arsenal and Liverpool did not play when Pep Guardiola’s team claimed a dramatic late victory at Newcastle United on January 12.
Are you ready for the latest round of twists and turns in a congested title race? Calm.
Are there Premier League games this weekend?
There are no Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend (January 26-28) due to the FA Cup fourth round.
The 20 Premier League teams entered the competition in the third round of the knockout tournament, which traditionally takes place on the first weekend of the calendar year. As such, there were no Premier League matches on Saturday 6 January or Sunday 7 January this year.
Due to the expectation that most Premier League teams will advance from the third round, there are no matches scheduled for the fourth round weekend.
This means that Arsenal, Everton, Brentford, Burnley and West Ham will have a few days off due to their third round defeats.
Arsenal, Everton, Brentford and Burnley finished second in every Premier League tie, while West Ham lost to Championship side Bristol City after a replay.
Will the FA Cup disrupt the Premier League again in 2023/24?
This is the last time the calendar will be completely interrupted by the FA Cup this season.
The fifth round will take place midweek on February 26, so league matches will not be affected.
A full series of Premier League matches are scheduled for the FA Cup quarter-final (March 16-17) and semi-final (April 20-21) weekends.
The scheduled Premier League matches of teams participating in the later rounds will be rearranged to an available midweek slot later in the season.
When is the Premier League back?
A full round of midweek matches will take place on January 30, January 31 and February 1. These are the reverse fixtures of the games that took place on the first weekend of the season.
Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest, where a defeat last season ended their title hopes and confirmed Manchester City as champions. Aston Villa host Newcastle United, while Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield in an equally delightful clash.
City hosts Burnley and their former captain Vincent Kompany at the Etihad Stadium.
Complete matches of matchday 22 of the Premier League
Tuesday January 30
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Fulham vs Everton
Luton Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
Wednesday January 31
Manchester City vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Brentford
Thursday February 1
West Ham United v Bournemouth
Wolves against Manchester United
