The Gameweek 24 Captain Poll may just reveal a shift in our thinking regarding the Fantasy Premier League armband.
With Arsenal facing a testing trip to Stamford Bridge, interest in Alexis Sanchez (11.9), who has topped the poll for the last two weeks, is likely to be muted.
Despite delivering attacking returns in all but one of his last 11 league encounters, the Chilean faces a Blues defence that has conceded the fewest amount of close range efforts over the last four Gameweeks.
Chelsea’s Golden Boot leader Diego Costa (10.4) could present a more popular option in that match, given that the Gunners have shipped six goals and earned just a single clean sheet in four.
Blues schemer Eden Hazard (10.2) has three assists in five, but with just a single goal in his previous eight Gameweeks, confidence in the Belgian continues to waver.
Liverpool have suffered a dreadful start to 2017, failing to keep a clean sheet, while suffering a Premier League defeat to Swansea City and domestic cup exits at the hands of Wolves and Southampton.
But with Sadio Mane (9.0) likely to make his first start since returning from Africa Cup of Nations duty, the Reds assets could gain some traction ahead of a favourable trip to Hull City.
Three goals and an assist in his last four away trips arguably make the Senegalese winger the pick of the bunch, with Roberto Firmino (8.4) proving erratic and Philippe Coutinho (8.3) still to establish a rhythm following his recent ankle injury.
The Tigers have shown improved resilience since Marco Silva took charge but are still seeking their first clean sheet at the KCOM Stadium, where their long-suffering supporters have witnessed 21 goals conceded from 11 matches.
A cast of Spurs attacking assets did themselves few favours with last night’s 0-0 stalemate with Sunderland. A home encounter against another north east side, Middlesbrough, should offer the platform to make amends and ensure that Harry Kane (11.2), Dele Alli (8.8) and Christian Eriksen (8.8) feature prominently in this week’s poll reckoning.
Alli’s eight goals from his last seven Gameweeks presents a hugely impressive CV, while Kane notched a hat-trick in his last home league outing and boasts six goals in as many matches. Eriksen is now without a goal in seven outings, though three chances created and two shots on target in Tuesday’s draw on Wearside indicates that his underlying threat continues.
Romelu Lukaku (9.6) is also expected to be among those vying for top spot, as Everton prepare to welcome a Bournemouth outfit that has leaked 10 goals in their last four matches, more than any other side over that spell.
Meanwhile, the 26.1% owned Belgian striker, who faces Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium this evening, has three goals and an assist in five prior to tonight’s clash.
Everton team-mate Ross Barkley (7.0) could offers an interesting differential armband option, with three assists and a goal in his previous five appearances. His performance in the Potteries warrants monitoring ahead of the Cherries meeting.
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.7) has played second fiddle to Sanchez in the last two polls but has remained the most popular captain pick among FPL managers. The Swede has earned that accolade for six consecutive Gameweeks.
He could well claim top position in our poll this time around ahead of a meeting with a faltering Leicester City side. Having blanked at Stoke City in Gameweek 22, Ibrahimovic will seek a return to the scoresheet in this evening’s Old Trafford meeting with Hull City which would set him up for a clash with the Foxes defence. Claudio Ranieri’s rearguard have claimed just two clean sheets since Gameweek 8.
In any other season, a home tie against Swansea City would have made Sergio Aguero (12.8) a shoo-in for the Gameweek armband.
But with one goal in his last four starts, the Manchester City striker’s stock has plummeted with his ownership dipping to just below the 20% mark this week.
Kevin De Bruyne (10.5) could surpass his team-mate, following a 13-point FPL haul in his previous outing against Spurs but, in truth, both require overwhelmingly convincing performances in tonight’s meeting with West Ham to figure in our Gameweek 24 thinking.
Two goals and a clean sheet at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening hints that Sam Allardyce may, at last, be making an impact at Crystal Palace. Their strong performance has prompted us to nominate Christian Benteke (7.3), who notched for the first time since Gameweek 15 last night, for consideration when Sunderland drop by Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Wilfried Zaha (5.5), who made his first appearance since his AFCON absence at the Vitality Stadium, is another differential option that could attract interest. Found in just 4.4% of FPL squads, he looked lively on the south coast, firing in three efforts on goal.
West Brom’s excellent home form hands their key attacking assets an opportunity to garner votes.
Weekend visitors Stoke City have hardly convinced on their travels, shipping 20 goals over 11 road trips. Mark Hughes’ men have also conceded 12 over their last six before tonight’s home encounter with Everton.
The 21.9% owned Matt Phillips (5.9) has blanked in his last three but has been strong on home turf, earning two goals and four assists at The Hawthorns. Similarly, Chris Brunt’s three goals and trio of assists have all arrived over the last five in front of the Baggies’ faithful.
Finally, Salomon Rondon (6.8) is once again expected to lead the line for Tony Pulis’ troops and will be hoping to add to his five goals and two assists in home matches.
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 next week’s deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.
