As was the case in the opening round of Premier League fixtures, Gameweek 2 was a mixed bag of results in regards to our captain picks, although this time round the results were even more dramatic. Whilst the likes of Gabriel Jesus(£8.0m) and our differential selection Phil Foden (£8.0m) stole the show with hauls of 19 and 9 points respectively, Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez (£9.1m) ended up at the opposite end of the spectrum. The Uruguayan was sent off on his debut Premier League appearance at Anfield, leaving owners nursing a wound of minus two points!
With a plethora of enticing options to choose from heading into Gameweek 3, FPL managers are somewhat spoiled for choice in terms of whom to place the armband upon. We’ve done our best to try and help by cherry-pick our three most attractive premium captain picks, including a separate differential choice ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Mo Salah (£13.0m) vs MUN (a)
Anyone who matched Man Utd in Gameweek 2 will know that Erik ten Hag’s side are in dire straits right now, following one of the most embarrassing results for Man Utd across the entire Premier League era as they were thrashed 4-0 at Brentford. The defence was a shambles, the goalkeeper just as bad and as the game wore on the only question people were asking was how many Brentford would end up scoring.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah (£13.0m) will have been licking his lips at the prospect of facing this Man Utd side in Gameweek 3. The last time Salah visited Old Trafford, he netted a hat-trick in a 0-5 thrashing of the Red Devils and it’s hard not to see him creating plenty of chances for himself against this United backline. On the back of two consecutive Premier League draws and the sending off of Darwin Nunez, the onus is on Salah more than ever to fire Liverpool back to winning way and this bodes well for his Gameweek 3 captaincy prospects.
Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) vs BOU (a)
The man of the moment in Gameweek 2, Gabriel Jesus marked his home Premier League debut for Arsenal in style, bagging a brace and two assists in his side’s 4-2 beating of Leicester. It was clear watching Jesus against Crystal Palace that it wouldn’t be far down the road before his first attacking returns for the Gunners and his vast FPL ownership did not have long to wait, the Brazilian recording a huge score of 19 points.
However, when taking into account that over 75% of FPL managers own Jesus, it’s very difficult to reap the rewards of his returns unless you select him as your skipper. An away trip to Bournemouth in Gameweek 3 could prove the ideal match in which do so, with the Cherries off the back of a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Man City. The last time Jesus faced Bournemouth in the Premier League was back in July 2020 when he still played for Pep Guardiola’s side. The 25-year-old scored then and it would be no surprise if he was to do the same here.
Harry Kane (£11.4m) vs WOL (H)
He may have left it late and in somewhat controversial fashion! But Harry Kane (£11.4m) was on the scoresheet for Spurs in Gameweek 2, nodding home a dramatic equaliser deep into stoppage time from a corner, although a question will remain as to whether the ball was going the right side of the post before deflecting off Chelsea defender Reece James and into the net. Kane was afforded the goal though and is off the mark after blanking against Southampton in Gameweek 1. A total of 8 FPL points saw Kane accrue a higher Gameweek 2 score than Man City forward Erling Haaland despite heaps of FPL managers selling the former for the latter following Haaland’s brace away at West Ham.
Next up for a Spurs team who have now racked up six goals across their opening two league fixtures is a home clash with Wolves. Whilst the visitors have proven a bogey side for Spurs down the years in North London, you can’t help but feel that things will be different this year under Antonio Conte. Kane will no doubt be desperate to open his account for the season on his home ground and looks a very enticing captain pick.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m) vs AVL (H)
A proven Premier League performer, Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m) can be a frustrating asset to own from an FPL perspective. Despite being able to play as a striker, the Crystal Palace talisman is priced as a midfielder and this will likely boost his scoring potential with an extra point coming his way both a goal and a clean sheet. Zaha scored his first league goal of the season this past Monday at Anfield and unsurprisingly looked by far the Eagles’ biggest goal threat.
Palace host Aston Villa in Gameweek 3, who have failed to keep a clean sheet in either of their two league fixtures played thus far and the hosts are expected to deploy an attacking style of play in a bid to gain their first victory of 2022-23. Zaha will no doubt have a big part to play and should also be on penalties should his side win one. With that in mind, Zaha could prove worth his weight in differential gold, should any of the 7.3% of FPL managers who own him be willing to give him the armband.
