Following the weekend’s curtailed schedule, our Captain Poll is back with a full set of fixtures and far larger talent pool.
Arsenal’s Saturday lunchtime trip to West Brom, a side that has shipped eight goals in four and last kept a clean sheet in Gameweek 24, ensures that the Gunners’ assets could overcome their own indifferent form to challenge for the armband.
Alexis Sanchez (11.5), who scored in the weekend FA Cup win against Lincoln City, is likely to attract interest for the Hawthorns clash, given that no other player can match the Chilean’s 11 goals on the road this term.
An alternative captaincy option among Arsene Wenger’s troops is Theo Walcott (7.3). Owned by a mere 4.1% of FPL managers, he’s now scored in three of his last four starts in all competitions and could be a vital player for Arsene Wenger over the run-in.
Another is Olivier Giroud (8.1), whose goal against Lincoln may have done enough to cement a spot in the first XI, having also started two of Arsenal’s last three league matches. With West Brom’s potent threat from set-pieces, Giroud’s physicality may well see him considered for the start.
Elsewhere in north London, Spurs also offer a raft of potential captaincy candidates, although they seem likely to be without top scorer Harry Kane for Southampton’s visit. The England forward is expected to be sidelined having falling victim to an ankle injury in Spurs’ 6-0 rout of Millwall in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Son Heung-min (6.8) is a potentially explosive differential captaincy candidate and was the most productive Spurs asset when Kane was previously absent through injury, between Gameweeks 6 to 10. Over that period, the South Korean scored twice and provided an assist.
Dele Alli (8.7) is another who will be tasked with filling the void left by Kane, having also scored twice during the striker’s last spell of absence. The midfielder has netted 10 goals over his last 11 Gameweeks and, with 23,000 transfers in, is already one of the week’s most sought-after assets.
Although he delivered just a single assist with Kane out of the picture last time out, Christian Eriksen’s (8.6) eight double-digit hauls, 13 assists and five goals in the league suggests he will also be considered by some for Southampton’s visit. The Dane scored the opener and claimed two assists having been introduced for Kane in Sunday’s victory.
Last week’s poll winner and most popular FPL asset, Romelu Lukaku (10.3), will not easily surrender top billing – particularly with Hull City next up at Goodison Park in Gameweek 29. Lukaku will greet Marco Silva’s side on the back of a goal, assist and maximum bonus return against West Brom on Saturday.
That strike against the Baggies brought his home tally to 11, a record only bettered by Kane’s 14; Lukaku has now scored in five consecutive home matches.
Given that Silva’s men have shipped seven goals and failed to keep a clean sheet over their last four matches, the Belgian’s army of owners will be expecting further returns come Saturday’s clash.
A trip to Stoke City should ensure that Chelsea players, particularly the 34.5% owned Diego Costa (10.5), will challenge the Toffees’ striker.
Costa’s strike away to West Ham in his last league run out was a 17th of 2016/17, putting him just two behind Kane and Lukaku in the race for the Golden Boot. However, he has still produced just three double-figure hauls all season, with 12 points his highest tally thus far.
Eden Hazard (10.2) has been more explosive and also netted against the Hammers, but with just three of his 11 goals arriving on the road, it will be interesting to see if he can keep pace in our poll.
Pedro (7.1) is another form option in Antonio Conte’s squad. The winger has accrued seven goals and provided eight assists this season and has also registered returns three successive Gameweeks, while scoring or assisting in his last three away starts.
However, Stoke’s strong recent home record, which has seen them concede just twice and keep two clean sheets in four bet365 Stadium ties, may restrict Conte’s charges and limit their appeal for the captaincy.
Liverpool’s visit to Manchester City looks tough to call and is expected to create further doubts over the merits of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield assets. Both Sadio Mane (9.7) and Philippe Coutinho (8.3) blanked in Sunday’s stuttering 2-1 win over Burnley, with the latter hauled off before the hour mark. Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino (8.5) missed out through injury and remains a doubt heading into the Etihad Stadium meeting.
With four clean sheets in their last five league outings, there is also a suggestion that Pep Guardiola’s defence may have the form to repel the Liverpool attack.
In contrast, with Klopp’s side keeping just a single clean sheet since Gameweek 19, City’s three-man forward line could earn interest.
Owners of Leroy Sane (7.5), Sergio Aguero (12.7) and Raheem Sterling (7.8) may yet shake off the disappointment of Gameweek 27 to back them ahead of the Liverpool meeting.
Among the differential options on offer is Gameweek 28’s top scorer Josh King (5.6). The Cherries midfielder’s hat-trick against West Ham will see him brimming with confidence ahead of a collision with the Swansea City defence. Paul Clement’s rearguard has mustered just one shutout and shipped 17 goals in his nine-match tenure.
Already since Saturday, more than 51,000 FPL managers have secured the Norwegian’s services.
Leicester City’s renaissance under new boss Craig Shakespeare offers up Jamie Vardy (9.6) as another enticing punt.
Owned by just 8% of FPL managers, the England striker has struck twice and assisted another under the new regime and visits a West Ham defence that has shipped 13 goals over their last six outings. Indeed, Slaven Bilic’s defence have just one clean sheet since Gameweek 18, while the Foxes have scored three goals in each of their matches under Shakespeare’s stewardship.
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 this week’s deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.
