NMA Reader Poll: EPL GW-3 Best FPL Captain

The Premier League provided surprises throughout GW-2, and boy, are we loving the football or not? Man City continued its familiar routine of collecting three points for fun, while West Ham suffered a surprising loss to Nottingham Forest, and it was Steven Gerrard’s Villans vanquishing Frank Lampard’s Toffees.

And just when you thought Man United surely can’t sink any lower, the Red Devils did just that, stung 4-0 by mighty Brentford (who now occupy 3rd place by dint of that goal-differential).

Harry Kane grabbed a 96th minute equalizer to salvage a 2-2 draw for Tottenham from a feisty London derby against Chelsea. However, it was the altercation after the final whistle that stole the spotlight. Both Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel were shown red for their second physical altercation of the match. I bet the world would pay to watch a Conte-Tuchel face-off in the octagon!

And the surprises kept coming in Monday’s Liverpool-Palace fixture, the Eagles snatching a first goal against the run of play, and later a frustrated new-boy Nunez head-butting a pushy defender for a straight red card. Ten-man ‘Pool then stepped up to equalize via a goal-of-the-season contender from Luis Diaz.

Let’s hope GW-3 brings as much excitement (but with fewer red cards!). In the world of fantasy, we have plenty of interesting GW-3 fixtures with a several attractive captain options, so let’s have a look:

João Cancelo

If you are looking for a defender that provides both an attacking threat and stability at the back, then Joao Cancelo (£7.0) is your guy. The Portuguese provided an assist and a clean sheet plus a bonus point against Bournemouth. What more can one ask from a defender? He faces Newcastle next, and given the form City is in, the fullback should continue his silky performance. If you are looking for other defenders, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5) and Reece James (£6.0) could fit the bill.

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Gabriel Jesus

After Mo Salah, the third most captained Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) was involved in every one of his side’s four goals (two goals + two assists) as Arsenal beat Leicester 4-2. That made a massive 38 points with the armband. The 401,000 managers who transferred the Brazilian out after his GW-1 blank, making him the third most-sold player, must surely regret that decision, especially if the replaced him with Darwin Nunez.

Jesus next faces Bournemouth who suffered a comprehensive 4-0 loss to Man City. Arsenal is on a roll, Mikel Arteta’s team is clicking well, the identity of the team is evident on the pitch, and the players show plenty of hunger and passion. All of this fits Jesus, who has been phenomenal since donning the Gunners’ jersey in pre-season. Given his top-notch performances lately, the striker is a great call for the armband.

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Harry Kane

The most-sold player when GW-2 was approaching, the England captain showed character to grab a 96th minute equaliser to nick a 2-2 draw against London derby rivals Chelsea FC. This earned him eight points, and he should do as well next against a dull Wolves side lacking bravery at the back since Conor Coady’s exit to Everton. Kane (£11.4) has a perfect opportunity to pursue his quest for the Golden Boot and help Tottenham reach expectations set by an ambitious transfer window. The Spurs’ striker is also relatively thinly-owned at just 17.0% ownership at the moment.

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Erling Haaland

The most captained player of the week, Haaland (£11.7m) didn’t return as many points in GW-2 as we hoped. More than three million managers backed the 22-year-old former Dortmund striker with the captain’s armband, ending Mo Salah’s (£13.0m) run of 32 consecutive game-weeks as the most-popular choice. In fact, Erling Haaland was even triple captained by around 213k managers for GW-2; that one must be tough to take.

The Norwegian now faces a revived Newcastle yet to concede a goal, thanks to Nick Pope plus Kieran Trippier and his fellow his defenders. Haaland will be looking to rebound, and perhaps this motivation is enough for him to break through again.

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Mo Salah

His performance against Crystal Palace was dented by a missed chance and the Nunez RC, but no hater can really doubt his magical talents. Liverpool faces rock-bottom Man United next, and the Egyptian winger cherishes a big game to stamp his authority. Last season, Mo Salah became the first ever player to score five goals against Manchester United in a single Premier League season. Maybe he’s looking to break his own record this season against the vulnerable Red Devils?

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What do you think of the potential captain choices? Where will you place your armband this weekend? Any differential captain you are considering? Please log in to take our poll and then let us know in the comments section below!

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