Captain Sensible – Gameweek 4

We now move on to assess the main captaincy contenders for the upcoming round of fixtures in our regular pre-Gameweek members’ article.

We’ll delve into the Opta numbers before checking the player and team statistics, along with the Rate My Team ratings, then suggest a differential or two to consider.

The Captain Poll

There’s no runaway leader in this week’s Captain Poll, with Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku claiming top spot with just 32% of the votes.

Ranked number one in the Poll for the third time in four Gameweeks, the Belgian has laboured when facing Stoke City in the past, scoring in just three of 10 league appearances against them.

But with skipper Ryan Shawcross out injured, Lukaku’s 58% Fantasy Premier League ownership will be optimistic he can at least maintain his current goal-a-game average for the Red Devils.

Team-mates Henrikh Mkhitaryan (3%) and Paul Pogba (2%) remain overlooked options as Jose Mourinho’s side seek a fourth successive victory. Yet both have bettered the Belgian by 26 points to 19 so far.

Harry Kane leads the chasing pack on 12% as Spurs make their way to Everton.

Number one for shots and efforts inside the box in the first three rounds of fixtures, Kane shrugged off his August drought by bagging a brace for England over the international break.

Yet the Toffees are no easy nut to crack at Goodison – a total of 16 goals conceded at home in 2016/17 was the third most resilient record in the top-flight.

Indeed, Kane has scored in just two of his six league outings against Everton.

A trio of new frontmen complete the top five.

Selected by 7% of voters, Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata have had contrasting starts to life in the Premier League.

Having dropped to the bench at Liverpool, the Frenchman is expected to return to the Gunners’ XI as Bournemouth roll up to the Emirates. Encouragingly for Arsene Wenger, Lacazette has scored in his only home appearance – against Leicester City in Gameweek 1.

And yet we cannot overlook the want-away Alexis Sanchez (3%), who scored twice in the corresponding fixture last season.

Two double-figure hauls in the first three is indicative of how quickly Morata has settled into his new surrounds as Chelsea pay visit to Leicester.

His team-mates Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard could be among the most explosive differentials for Gameweek 4, with just 1% of the votes cast.

While Hazard is perhaps uncertain to start as he builds up his fitness, it’s worth remembering that Alonso recorded 21 points away to Leicester in the previous season.

West Ham’s Javier Hernandez is also backed to do the business. The second most popular forward in FPL, the Mexican hosts a Huddersfield outfit that have yet to concede this season.

Having scored his side’s only two goals so far though, Hernandez has persuaded 5% to take the plunge with the armband.

Man City and Liverpool’s big-hitters are largely ignored as the two go head-to-head at the Etihad.

Roberto Firmino (3%) is the most popular captaincy pick for Saturday’s early kick-off, having risen to joint-top in the FPL standings on the back of two goals and a pair of assists.

Sadio Mane – the only player to score in each of the first three Gameweeks – and the two-goal Mo Salah are both backed by a mere 2% voters.

A starter in each of the opening three matches, Gabriel Jesus is City’s favoured pick – the Brazilian opened his account at Bournemouth last time out as Sergio Aguero dropped to the bench.

But Pep Guardiola will surely think twice over retaining the Argentine as a sub – he has scored in all five home league appearances against the Merseysiders.

Elsewhere, the likes of Manolo Gabbiadini, Tammy Abraham and Robbie Brady all hover around the 1% mark ahead of fine home fixtures.