It was a slow burner, but the third round of the FA Cup undoubtedly delivered and with another Premier League gameweek around the corner there is little time for respite.

You thought the festive period was busy? Pfft. It’s January real Agent of Anarchy.

The weekend allowed most managers to rest and rotate ahead of the upcoming midweek fixtures, and only three top-flight teams exited the FA Cup – two of which fell to Premier League rivals. Southampton also won.

Those who have been beaten will be keen to respond quickly under the lights, with Gameweek 21 serving up some belting midweek action.

Here’s how 90 minutes The Premier League projects to play the next midweek slate.

Perhaps Nottingham Forest’s win at Anfield wasn’t so spectacular. Was it just his ‘Leicester at the Etihad’ moment from 2016 on the way to the unthinkable? Premier League fame?

Forest’s remarkable campaign has begged the question of whether they can repeat the Foxes’ unlikely triumph, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side third in the table. They can move to within three points of Liverpool on Tuesday, but they will have to beat the league leaders at the City Ground to do so.

Arne Slott’s Reds have lost just once all league season, but both Manchester United and Tottenham have enjoyed success against the title favorites in recent weeks.

Ahead of Tuesday’s top-of-the-table clash, Manchester City are in action at Brentford aiming for a fourth straight league win, while Chelsea face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on the back of a four-game Premier League winless run. The Cherries will leapfrog the Blues in the table with a win in west London.

Graham Potter also takes charge of his first game at the London Stadium as manager of West Ham United. Potter suffered a 2–1 defeat against Aston Villa The FA Cup Friday night, but there were encouraging signs on debut. Fulham make the short trip across London to face Hammers.

Wednesday’s action is highlighted by the North London derby, which sees two injury-hit Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur outfits face off at the Emirates Stadium.

You never know what you’re going to get from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham, as demonstrated by their two most recent performances, but you can project more Arsenal woes in front of goal given their defeats in defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United in the past week. Mikel Arteta’s options up top are thinning by the game.

An emotional Gunners fanbase is growing frustrated with their current situation and a home defeat to mid-table Spurs will tip the scales in plenty.

David Moyes’ return to Goodison Park is the pick of the earlier kick-off, with the Scot’s second managerial bow on Merseyside coming against an inconsistent Aston Villa side.

Newcastle aim to continue their rich run of form when they face Vitor Pereira’s adventurous Wolves at St James’ Park, while Leicester face Crystal Palace who hammered QPR in six at the weekend. The Foxes can escape the relegation zone with a win over the 15th-placed Eagles.

Gameweek 21 rounds off with some fixtures on Thursday with the first outing at Portman Road. Chelsea and Bristol Rovers have felt the wrath of Kieran McKenna’s side in East Anglia over the past two weeks, while the Tractor Boys are beginning to ease into the top flight.

Brighton have been hampered by injuries over the last few months, but they have done an excellent job to avoid defeat and should probably turn their recent stalemate into a win. Maybe they’ll get a long overdue victory on Thursday.

Finally, Manchester United’s team was full of grit and spirit against Southampton in what was deemed a relegation six-pointer after Newcastle beat the Red Devils at home. United’s position in the table hasn’t changed, but their two most recent performances suggest they won’t be dragged into a dogfight in the second half of the season.

However, they face a Saints side who enter the fixture on the back of a rare victory. Ivan Juric’s first win as manager against Championship side Swansea City.

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