Are there Premier League games this weekend? How FA Cup fourth round affects EPL schedule in England
Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to a superb second-half display at Bournemouth last weekend.
Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota each scored twice in a 4-0 win at the Vitality Stadium to pull Jurgen Klopp's side clear of Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa, all of whom are on 43 points.
Champions City have a game in hand and did not feature in the most recent matches as they enjoyed their mid-season break. Similarly, Arsenal and Liverpool were sitting out as Pep Guardiola's side claimed a dramatic late win at Newcastle United on January 12.
All set for the latest round of twists and turns in a congested title race? Hold your horses.
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There are no Premier League games scheduled for this weekend — January 26-28 — due to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
All 20 Premier League teams entered the competition in round three of the knockout tournament, which traditionally takes place on the first weekend of the calendar year. As such, there were no Premier League games on Saturday, January 6 or Sunday, January 7 this year.
Because of the expectation that the majority of Premier League teams will progress from round three, there are no scheduled games for fourth-round weekend.
This means that Arsenal, Everton, Brentford, Burnley and West Ham all have a few days off due to their round-three defeats.
Arsenal, Everton, Brentford and Burnley came off second-best in all Premier League ties, while West Ham lost to Championship team Bristol City after a replay.
This is the last time the calendar will be fully interrupted by the FA Cup this season.
The fifth round will take place in the midweek of w/c February 26, leaving league
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