Captain Poll – Gameweek 35

We take a break from the current double Gameweek to look ahead to the key captaincy candidates for the next set of fixtures this weekend.

Already one double Gameweek star, Christian Benteke (7.3), has put up a good case for a place at the summit of our latest poll after scoring a brace against his former club Liverpool on Sunday.

The Palace striker has now scored five in as many starts and on Saturday evening takes on Burnley, one of the Premier League’s most porous away day defences that has shipped 33 goals on the road.

With one game still to go in Gameweek 34, against Spurs on Wednesday, the Belgian’s team-mate Wilfried Zaha (6.0) still has the opportunity to court votes to offer an alternative option among the Eagles’ ranks and make up for his blank at Anfield.

Marcus Rashford (6.6) was another sought-after double Gameweek asset who has so far failed to impress after being benched for Manchester United’s trip to Burnley yesterday.

Once he gets a tricky midweek game with rivals Manchester City out of the way, he looks primed for interest for Gameweek 35 given that he collides with a Swansea City defence at Old Trafford that is one of only four sides to have a worse defensive away record than Burnley. The Swans have shipped 35 goals and have kept just a solitary clean sheet on their travels.

The North London derby, at White Hart Lane on Sunday, is also likely to put forward a raft of candidates, with both sides on a fine run of scoring form.

Arsenal have won both their matches since switching to a wing-back system against Middlesbrough in the league and Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. That is likely to renew interest in Alexis Sanchez (11.5). In the new system, the Chilean appears to have the freedom to wander back into central areas and has scored in both matches. Mesut Ozil (9.4) has also prospered, with the 6.1%-owned German scoring the Gunners’ second goal against Boro last Monday.

Spurs may have lost 4-2 against Chelsea in the other FA Cup semi-final this weekend, but their trio of chief captaincy candidates, Harry Kane (11.6), Dele Alli (9.2) and Christian Eriksen (8.8), were all involved in their side’s goals to ensure they attract interest.

With the Gunners conceding six goals in their last four, compared to one by Spurs over the same period, Kane, in particular, is expected to prosper. The England striker, who is the most popular acquisition so far this week in FPL’s transfer market, has scored six and assisted a further two goals over his last four league run-outs.

Manchester City’s assets are also expected to garner votes as they travel to a Boro side that was humiliated 4-0 away to Bournemouth at the weekend.

Sergio Aguero (12.8), who scored in City’s FA Cup defeat is his side’s top scorer on the road, with 12 goals, could lead the charge among Pep Guardiola’s troops in our latest poll. However, after picking up a potential fitness concern against Arsenal in yesterday’s FA Cup semi-final, voters may wait to see if he is fit to start in the Manchester derby.

Gabriel Jesus (8.6), the Argentine’s rival for a central striker berth, is back in training and could attract a flurry of votes later in the week should he gain minutes in the derby at the Etihad. His 0.5% ownership also looks set to rocket should he deliver attacking returns from this tricky encounter.

Liverpool’s Brazilian pair of Roberto Firmino (8.7) and Philippe Coutinho (8.5), who between them have scored seven times and racked up five assists over their last nine run-outs, have also been added to the poll ahead of the Reds’ trip to Watford.

Following their 2-1 defeat to Palace at the weekend, a win is vital for Jurgen Klopp’s troops if they are to cling on to their top-four place. The Hornets’ shipping of 23 goals in their 17 home league matches offers hope to those backing the Liverpool duo.

At Goodison Park, Romelu Lukaku (10.5) is usually a shoo-in for top billing in our captaincy poll, given that he has scored 16 goals on home turf – more than any other player.

A visit from title favourites Chelsea might curtail support, although the Blues’ failure to keep a clean sheet since Gameweek 22 should ensure that the Belgian remains a strong option. His position as FPL’s most popular player, with a 46.7% ownership, should also keep him high on our latest list.

Southampton players are among this week’s enticing differential captaincy picks and in particular fit-again striker Manolo Gabbiadini (6.4), who has seen his ownership dwindle to 3.4% following an injury lay-off that halted a scoring run of four goals in as many matches. With penalties in his locker, the 1.9%-owned midfielder Dusan Tadic (6.9) is another that could earn votes as we scout out the Serbian ahead of the Saints’ two double Gameweeks.

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 35 deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article, offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.