Our pre-Gameweek members article, which focuses on the main captaincy contenders, arrives a little later than usual this Friday afternoon. As always, we take a three-part approach which includes the weekly poll standings, the Opta statistics and our Rate My Team projections to help steer your thoughts on the armband conundrum.
The Captain Poll
With 44% of the votes cast, Harry Kane is the runaway leader this week as Spurs prepare to entertain Villa at the Lane. The youngster has produced eight goals and two assists in his six home appearances in 2015, with three sets of double-figures (18, 12, 17) included over that run. Bearing in mind that Villa have a single clean sheet in 12 league outings, Kane owners will be expecting a return to form after he blanked in two of the last three Gameweeks.
Eden Hazard is next in line as Chelsea make their way to London neighbours QPR. The Belgian has scored in five of his last six away appearances and squares up to a defence that’s conceded at least twice in all but one of the last seven matches. With that in mind, it’s perhaps surprising that Hazard is currently backed by just 17% of the voters.
Arsenal pair Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez have been selected by 8% and 5% respectively for the trip to Burnley. The Clarets defence have kept out City and Spurs in their last two home matches and have certainly tightened up, though face a tough task to keep Giroud at bay – the Frenchman has scored in eight of his last nine league starts. Sanchez, meanwhile, has already served up a 16-point haul against the Clarets this season and rolls up to Turf Moor on the back of a 13-point return against Liverpool last weekend as the Gunners strengthen their claim for a top two finish.
Four goals in his last six outings earns Bafetimbi Gomis 4% backing in this week’s Poll. The Swansea forward has belatedly found his form but faces a resurgent Everton side at the Liberty, with the Toffees conceding just once in their previous three fixtures.
Sergio Aguero and Loic Remy have been selected by just 3% ahead of trips to United and QPR respectively. Given that United have only conceded more than one goal on just two occasions from Gameweek 6 onwards, Aguero faces a tough task to arrest a run of form which has seen him return a single assist in the last five Gameweeks. Remy’s back-to-back winners for Chelsea should earn him a start in Diego Costa’s absence as the league leaders travel to a QPR side that has lost each of their last five at Loftus Road and boasts the worst defensive record in the top-flight.
Further down, the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Glenn Murray could well emerge as real differentials for those willing to gamble. Sturridge has collected just 2% of votes ahead of Monday’s home encounter with a Newcastle side that has managed two clean sheets in their last 19 league encounters. Murray’s five goals and two assists in the last five suggests he’s one to watch as Palace seek a fifth win in six away to struggling Sunderland.
