Captain Poll – Gameweek 37

Ten teams play twice in Gameweek 37, so there are plenty of potentially high-scoring captaincy candidates to consider in our latest poll.

But picking a player with form, fixtures and motivation on their side as the season draws to a close could prove to be a minefield.

Arsenal’s assets are among those set to garner interest. They have a trip to a Stoke City side that’s conceded five and only kept one clean sheet in their last four bet365 Stadium encounters. Then there’s a visit from relegated Sunderland, who have only scored in three of their last 13 run-outs and conceded 18 over that period.

The Gunners also have the motivation of a top four place to pursue.

But in terms of form, it may be their rearguard that gathers more votes.

Already in Gameweek 36, keeper Petr Cech (5.3) has picked up clean sheet, bonus and save points against Manchester United at home and he still has a trip to St Mary’s to go. Similarly, the 12%-owned Laurent Koscielny (6.1) could prosper considering he only just missed out on bonus points in yesterday’s Red Devils clash, despite being booked.

As for their attacking assets, top scorer Alexis Sanchez (11.6) will need to deliver handsomely against the Saints in midweek if he is to repeat his top placing in Gameweek 36’s poll. His failure to score against Manchester United means he has just one goal in seven and has only managed to attract a mere 5,000+ new managers this week despite his pair of attractive fixtures.

Mesut Ozil (9.5) is another Gunner who lacks the form to gain substantial interest, with no attacking returns in his last three.

The search for the holy grail of form, fixtures and motivation could ensure a Manchester City player tops this week’s poll. Their 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace at the Etihad on Saturday, Gameweek 37 home ties against Leicester City and West Brom and a top four place to cling to, mean they already dominate the transfer market.

With 35,000+ new FPL managers, striker Gabriel Jesus (8.9) is the most popular acquisition and looks a strong contender for the summit. He may have only brought in an assist against the Eagles, but with four goals and an assist in as many matches prior to last weekend, he has the pedigree to deliver.

Kevin De Bruyne’s (10.4) 17-point haul on Saturday puts him firmly in the spotlight. His two assists in that game bring his tally to 18 – a league-leading total.

The threat of rotation continues to loom large among Pep Guardiola’s troops, but the Belgian schemer looks the safest midfield asset – his 30 starts is more than any other City player. It is no surprise that with 18,000+ new managers, he is the most popular midfield acquisition this week.

Leroy Sane (7.7), who despite failing to chip in with any of City’s Palace goals, has an assist and a goal in his last four and could also attract interest.

Those voting may also be inclined to wait on news surrounding Sergio Aguero’s (12.8) groin injury, which kept him out of action at the weekend. With seven goals in his last nine league starts, the 19%-owned Argentine could be set for a late surge in interest if there is positive news from the treatment room.

As with Arsenal, Manchester City’s defence may also gather votes, particular as the Baggies have only scored in one of their last six.

The prospect of returns at both ends of the pitch has seen Vincent Kompany (5.8) – who has scored two goals in his last four – top the defenders’ transfer market, with 14,000+ new FPL managers this week.

Another eye-catching differential for the armband is Willy Cabellero (4.7), who looks secure between the sticks with Claudio Bravo out for the season. His 13,779 new FPL owners makes him this week’s most popular goalkeeping target.

Chelsea stars also have the form to entice interest as they have joined Man City at the top of the goals scored table over their last four matches, with 10 successful strikes.

But the title would be secured should they win against Middlesbrough tonight and away to West Brom on Friday, so motivation may be lacking and key players benched for next Monday’s second Gameweek 37 fixture at Stamford Bridge against Watford.

Given the Hornets have shipped 12 without reply over their last five road trips, this would be a bitter blow to those backing benched assets with the armband.

Nevertheless, with four goals and two assists in his last six, the 34%-owned Eden Hazard (10.6) should still remain a popular poll pick. The same applies to Diego Costa (10.4), who has two successful strikes and has set up team-mates on three occasions over his last four run-outs. The Spaniard’s 33.3% ownership makes his returns pivotal in terms of overall rank.

An Etihad visit and hosting Spurs is certainly not the ideal pair of fixtures for Leicester players’ captaincy credentials. But with form on their side and continued motivation, even though their only realistic goal is mid-table mediocrity, the Foxes may just defy the fixture list.

Jamie Vardy’s (9.9) consistency, with attacking returns in all but one of his last ten run-outs, makes him the most likely of Craig Shakespeare’s charges to vie for our attention. The 8.2%-owned Riyad Mahrez (8.9) has three goals in his last nine and is on spot-kick duties, offering a clear differential alternative to Vardy, who is in 14.2% of teams.

Spurs’ defeat to West Ham on Friday may just have ended their title challenge before they next kick a ball if Chelsea gain back-to-back victories.

As a result, Harry Kane (11.7), Dele Alli (9.2) and Christian Eriksen (8.9), who have nine goals and five assists between them over their last six, may struggle to make an impression in our latest poll.

Lack of attacking drive may also scupper interest in Southampton’s 8.8%-owned Manolo Gabbiadini (6.6), who has now failed to score in four outings since his return from injury in Gameweek 33.

A trip to Middlesbrough and a visit from a Manchester United squad with Europa League glory on their minds means the Saints certainly have solid fixtures, which could see votes for their goalkeeper Fraser Forster (5.0) instead.

The 4.5%-owned England stopper has already emerged as one of the heroes of the current double Gameweek, with a penalty save and a 16-point haul against Liverpool yesterday significantly boosting his armband credentials.

Swansea’s 10.9%-owned Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.4) and team-mate Fernando Llorente (6.1) are among the pick of the single Gameweek options we have included for consideration.

Unbeaten in their last three, they face a trip to Sunderland with Premier League survival back in their own hands, ensuring that this pair of Swans tick all three of the form, fixture and motivation boxes.

Romelu Lukaku’s (10.2) home form could also cause an upset, particularly to the 36,000+ FPL managers who have ditched him this week. The Golden Boot leader hosts a travel-sick Watford defence on the back of 16 goals in front of his own fans as he bids to see off the challenge of Kane for the top scorer gong.

The Captain Poll is now live in the middle column on your homepage on desktop, or via the slide-in menu on mobile and tablet under Recent Comments.

We will be back to check in on progress in the poll later ahead of the Gameweek 37 deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article, offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.