Captain Sensible – Gameweek 22

Attentions now turn to our pre-Gameweek members’ article next as we assess the leading captaincy candidates for the upcoming round of fixtures.

Starting off with an analysis of the Captain Poll, we then move onto the Opta numbers before checking up on the Rate My Team ratings and considering a couple of differential options for the first double Gameweek of 2017/18.

The Captain Poll

Spurs’ main men dominate our Captain Poll for Gameweek 22 ahead of a trip to Swansea and home clash with West Ham.

Having struck back-to-back hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton, Harry Kane approaches the double in his most prolific form of the season.

Over 60% have voted for the Spurs striker, who now has seven sets of double-figures to his name, though with doubts over Kane’s fitness due to illness, the likes of Son Heung-min (9%), Christian Eriksen (5%) and Dele Alli (4%) could emerge as big armband differentials.

Son has started each of the last six Gameweeks and flourished thanks to a security of pitch-time, racking up four goals and as many assists in that period.

Eriksen has two goals and three assists over that stretch, blanking on just once, while Alli’s return to form has been perfectly timed – he’s supplied a goal and four assists in Spurs’ last two Gameweeks.

Spurs’ opponents have hardly been resilient in recent matches – the Swans have conceded 14 times in five, while West Ham have shipped three goals to both Newcastle and Bournemouth in their previous two.

For the Hammers, Marko Arnautovic (2%) has upped his output since being moved up front by David Moyes.

The Austrian has scored five times in as many Gameweeks, producing 41 FPL points. He hosts a West Brom side with two clean sheets on the road all season before travelling to Wembley, where Spurs have delivered a shut-out in just one of their previous four.

Manuel Lanzini is the Hammers’ other form candidate. The Argentine has averaged a reasonable 4.6 points per match under Moyes, producing five assists and six bonus points in eight outings.

With Arsenal and Chelsea going head-to-head at the Emirates, our singe-Gameweek alternatives are likely to be from Man City and Liverpool’s attacks.

Man City’s opponents Watford arrive at the Etihad without a clean sheet in eight attempts and suffered a late home loss to Swansea at the weekend. The Hornets will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the 6-0 hammering to Pep Guardiola’s side back in Gameweek 5.

Rested to the bench at Crystal Palace, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling are likely to pose the main goal threat.

Sterling has delivered four sets of double-digits at home this season and has served up 10+ points in each of his last three league starts.

Aguero delivered 16 points in his previous home match and collected 20 points against the Hornets in Gameweek 5, thanks to three goals and an assist.

Liverpool make their way to Burnley – where Kane recently struck three times – with Mohamed Salah, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino all in fine form.

Salah has already produced double-digits against the Clarets earlier in the season and with 12 sets of returns in 13 Gameweeks. However, reports suggest that he could well miss out at Turf Moor having picked up a knock in the win over Leicester City.