This article is part of our The Armband series.
Due to the two English cups, multiple clubs have two or three matches in the matter of eight days. So while the Premier League had the weekend off, not many teams actually got rest. Because of that, it's important to keep an eye on what happens in the non-league matches. In addition to possible injuries, Chelsea and Man City are in the toughest spot with matches in both the League Cup and FA Cup. While some new faces are expected for FA Cup squads, there are still a few guys who may play three matches in one week.
If all goes well, Gameweek 25 will be a repeat of Gameweek 24 in which almost all of the favorites dominated. And yet, there always seems to be one team that doesn't live up to expectations. Last week, it was Liverpool who failed to show up, dropping three points at Swansea after thoroughly downing Man City the previous week. The goal in fantasy Premier League is not to captain a player from said team. That's part of the reason I went all-in on Sergio Aguero last week because I knew Man City probably weren't going to be the club that fell victim twice in a row, especially at home.
Of course, finding the team that doesn't perform to its ability is almost impossible. A lot of people will be inclined to go with Arsenal, but I'm not sure Swansea have back-to-back upsets in them. It could be Liverpool (at Huddersfield), but they won't be held scoreless again. As for Chelsea, I think there's a chance they struggle at home against Bournemouth due to the fixture pileup.
The Blues have been much more potent over the last month with Willian in the attack, but he picked up a hamstring injury Wednesday against Arsenal and that's likely due to playing more in recent weeks. That means Alvaro Morata should return to the starting XI alongside Eden Hazard. Both will undoubtedly be popular options, but I'm choosing to look elsewhere. It also doesn't help that they've played two extra matches in both the League Cup and FA Cup. Sure, it's possible Chelsea dominate and score four goals again, but they've been extremely inconsistent since the calendar turned to 2018.
Most of my attention for Gameweek 25 will be on Man City, which isn't a surprise. At home against West Brom, this is another great scenario for City to score three-plus goals against a team near relegation. City have won their last four at home by a combined 14-3 score line. Aguero is still the guy up front with Gabriel Jesus out and there's no reason to go against him. After last week's hat-trick, Aguero has six goals and an assist in his last three home starts. He's the safest of the bunch now that Raheem Sterling has cooled off. Sterling has the upside over other midfielders, though Kevin De Bruyne seems destined for a goal at some point with 19 shots in his last five league matches. City have the best chance for a clean sheet this weekend, but have given up weak goals lately and will be hard to trust despite the matchup.
With Spurs playing Man United, the other top options for captaincy are slim. Harry Kane will get plenty of shots, but I can't trust him or any Spurs player against other top clubs. As for the Red Devils, there's little reason to back them on the road, though the addition of Alexis Sanchez may change that in the future.
Liverpool are the second team I'm backing for the armband with hopes of a return to form, even on the road. Huddersfield are much better at home, but they gave up four goals to West Ham last time in West Yorkshire. Mohamed Salah was the biggest disappointment last week, but he still managed five shots and three chances created. As long as the Reds find the back of the net, Salah will be involved, which has been the case most of the season. Roberto Firmino is also an option with four goals and three assists in his last six starts.
Arsenal are the team no one knows what to do with, and even at Swansea I agree with that sentiment. Alexandre Lacazette hasn't been easy to trust on the road this season with just two of his nine league goals away from the Emirates. Mesut Ozil is the guy to back if you want a Gunner, but similar to the rest of the team, he's done little on the road with only one goal and one assist.
This is a perfect week for some differential captains if you're feeling up for it. Unfortunately, West Ham's two best players are out with injury after I touted them a week ago. Southampton are the most logical to back at home against Brighton, but giving the armband to Shane Long is a stretch. Jamie Vardy is usually on this list and even though he's on the road, it's not a terrible situation given that Everton have fallen apart again with one point in their last four league matches. If you want to go crazy, Marcos Alonso is always a threat to score or get a clean sheet. But as a reminder, the one thing Bournemouth haven't had trouble with lately is scoring through Callum Wilson.
My favorite differential may end up being Xherdan Shaqiri even though he hasn't scored since Dec. 2. Stoke have been extremely inconsistent at home, but there's no looking past Watford's last five away matches, all losses.
