With another Gameweek already upon us, we are once again previewing our top captaincy candidates ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

As ever, we begin by looking at the results of our Captain Poll, before analysing the key numbers for each of our top contenders and their respective teams.

Finally, we’ll delve into the data to suggest a couple of differential picks who may be flying under this week’s radar.

The Captain Poll

Two big guns from the midfield have dominated the captaincy discussion thus far.

Despite a pair of blanks over the previous two Gameweeks, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard leads the way. Over 32% have supported the Belgian as this week’s standout option ahead of a home fixture against a Southampton side fresh from a four-goal drubbing against Leicester in midweek.

Hazard has three double-digit hauls in his last seven starts and produced 15 points in his previous home match, in a 3-1 win over Newcastle.

Having been passed fit earlier today by Antonio Conte, Alvaro Morata is likely to climb in our poll. The Spaniard currently has just 2% backing, though he’s scored in two of the Blues’ last three at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard’s closest competition comes in the form of Mohamed Salah (18%), FPL’s highest scoring asset this season.

The Egyptian certainly boasts the track record to support his armband claims ahead of a visit to Bournemouth: he’s managed seven sets of double-figure returns and produced 33 points in his last three away matches.

His team-mates Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino have earned just 2% of the votes; yet each enjoyed 70+ minutes of rest last weekend, and look very likely starters for the Cherries’ encounter.

Both recorded double-digit hauls in Liverpool’s last away matchup, and should be hungry to repeat the performance on the back of two disappointing draws for the Reds. Indeed, Coutinho has 10+ points in three of his last four road trips.

Elsewhere, premium strikers may be out of vogue right now, but several can still stake strong claims for captaincy on a weekly basis.

Alexandre Lacazette (5%) boasts perhaps the strongest fixture among our top contenders, as Arsenal play host to struggling Newcastle.

Rested to the bench in midweek, the Frenchman has scored or assisted in six of his eight home appearances, netting six times at the Emirates. He entertains a side that have leaked nine goals in four matches since replacing Rob Elliot with Karl Darlow. The Magpies have just one clean sheet in their past 13 matches.

Romelu Lukaku (3%) – who retains a 33% ownership base – registered his first league goal since Gameweek 12 in midweek, and faces a West Brom defence that has conceded at least twice in four of their last five at The Hawthorns. Man United have upped their output since switching to a 3-4-2-1 on the road, netting seven times in their previous pair of away matches.

Only 4% of our voters favour Spurs’ Harry Kane away to Manchester City. Two goals last Saturday were followed by a disappointing midweek blank, yet Kane has notched seven times on the road already this season, and boasts a strong pedigree of producing in the biggest of games. City, meanwhile, have just one clean sheet in five at the Etihad Stadium.

David Silva (2%) and Kevin De Bruyne (1%) have been Man City’s main form assets over recent matches ahead of tomorrow evening’s match.

The Spaniard has racked up 33 points in the last three Gameweeks, finding the net on four occasions. De Bruyne, meanwhile, has upped his goal output in recent weeks – four of his five goals this season have been scored in the last seven Gameweeks, with three sets of double-figure hauls over that run.

Leicester City’s run of form under Claude Puel elevates Riyad Mahrez (3%) and Jamie Vardy (2%) in this week’s poll.

The former has averaged 6.1 points per match (ppm) since the Frenchman was appointed, bagging three goals and an assist in the last four Gameweeks.

Although Vardy has scored just once in the last seven Gameweeks, it’s worth noting that four of his last five league goals have arrived at the King Power Stadium – netting against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs.

Wayne Rooney’s recent renaissance has persuaded over 3% backers to hand him the captaincy. The most bought forward ahead of tomorrow’s deadline, he’s netted five times in the last four and entertains a Swansea City side that’s without a clean sheet in their last five on the road.