Captain Poll – Gameweek 14

With a home tie against a Swansea City side that has shipped 11 goals in their last four league outings, Harry Kane (10.8) is surely set to be among the front-runners at the top of this week’s Captain poll.

Already subject to more than 28,000 transfers in since Saturday morning, it is clear many Fantasy Premier League managers are already looking to secure the 7.7% owned striker in their squads ahead of this fixture.

His team-mate Christian Eriksen (8.1) could provide an interesting differential for those shunning the Spurs striker. His goal against Chelsea had been long overdue, with the 4.7% owned Dane having more goal attempts than any other midfielder without scoring in the previous four matches.

Even though Chelsea prevailed 2-1 in that encounter, Eriksen’s strike demonstrated that the Blues 3-4-3 formation, which had kept six clean sheets in a row prior to Gameweek 13, can be breached.

This puts 43.9% owned Sergio Aguero (13.1) firmly in the running for a shot at the summit of this week’s poll, when Manchester City welcome Antonio Conte’s troops to the Etihad this weekend.

With a brace and maximum FPL bonus against Burnley on Saturday, the Argentine’s stock has increased markedly since his disappointing blank away to Crystal Palace in Gameweek 12.

His 10.9% owned team-mate Kevin De Bruyne (10.8) was only a substitute at Turf Moor but is expected to start for this top of the table match to present a solid alternative.

In contrast, City’s defence has been poor all season, having kept just two clean sheets. This retains the 43.7% owned Diego Costa (10.6) as a strong contender, having scored or assisted in all bar one of his six away league games this term.

However, it would be a surprise to see 32.8% owned Eden Hazard (10.2) feature highly, having recorded just the one goal and a single assist on this travels, and with blanks in his last two Gameweeks.

Like Aguero, Alexis Sanchez (11.3) was another premium player to serve up a brace in Gameweek 13, during Arsenal’s 3-1 home victory over Bournemouth. 

The Chilean travels to a West Ham side that also suffers frailties in defence, conceding five goals in their last four home encounters. Meanwhile, the 22.7% owned midfielder, who continues to be fielded as a central striker by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, has scored five of his eight goals on the road.

Despite a six-game scoring drought earlier this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.1) has remained a popular captaincy choice, with 13.01% of FPL managers handing him the armband in Gameweek 13.

He rewarded them with a goal and maximum bonus at home to West Ham, which could yet see him figure highly in this week’s poll, ahead of a trip to Goodison Park. The Toffees have failed to keep a clean sheet since Gameweek 10 and will be low on confidence after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat away to Southampton.

Philippe Coutinho’s likely absence this weekend through injury, when Liverpool travel to Bournemouth, leaves Roberto Firmino (8.8) and Sadio Mane (9.2) as the key captaincy contenders among the Reds’ ranks.

Of the two, the Brazilian has the edge over his Senegalese team-mate on the road, in terms of both shooting accuracy and chance creation.

Firmino took a knock at the end of  Saturday’s 2-0 home victory over Sunderland but is expected to be fit in time for the weekend.

Sunderland’s hosting of a Leicester City side which has conceded a joint league high 16 goals on their travels, presents the poll with a duo of differential armband options.

Seven goals this campaign has taken 19% owned Jermaine Defoe (7.5)’s FPL points tally to 74, just one behind Aguero, making him a strong contender in this week’s vote.

Considering the porous nature of the Foxes’ defence, Defoe’s cut-price team-mate Victor Anichebe (4.6) also emerges as an intriguing option. The 3.2% owned Nigerian has scored three goals in as many games since breaking into the Black Cats first XI earlier this month.

Joining Leicester with 16 goals conceded away from home is Hull City, which offers the chance for Alvaro Negredo (6.2) to garner votes when the Tigers visit Middlesbrough. Against the Foxes at the weekend he served up a brace, his first league goals since Gameweek 1.

We will be back to check in on progress in the poll later this week when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.