This article is part of our The Armband series.
Let's wash Gameweek 23 down with something strong. Manchester City were the lone team to score more than two goals, while Watford, Crystal Palace and Swansea were the only other teams to score more than once. I told myself this was the last time I would leave Watford and Sunderland players on the bench, but who are we kidding?
Getting back to City, the biggest talking point has become Gabriel Jesus, who started over Sergio Aguero at West Ham. While Aguero wasn't fully healthy, this will be something that deserves monitoring, especially with City hosting Swansea this weekend.
On a quick turnaround, all logic suggests going with the most reliable options for Gameweek 24. Unfortunately, in addition to a disappointing midweek showing, there aren't many favorable fixtures for the top clubs, as Chelsea host Arsenal and Man United travel to Leicester. Of course, by favorable I mean home matches against bottom-table sides. Playing at Leicester can be considered favorable, but I'm not backing the Red Devils right now. Spurs probably have the best matchup hosting Middlesbrough, though Man City can't be overlooked even against a revived Swansea side.
So with Alexis Sanchez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in difficult situations, where should we turn? Diego Costa will likely be one of the favorites, even though the Blues lost 3-0 the last time they played Arsenal. Harry Kane seems like a logical choice, but if you watched their match at Sunderland on Tuesday, it's hard to captain him after that performance. Another worry is that Kane has zero shots on net in three of his last four matches. If I had the option, I would chose Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen before Kane. Eriksen has a better chance of scoring or assisting, but Dele has more upside, so that's where I'm leaning. As a reminder, Spurs host Boro, a side that has allowed just 12 goals in 11 road matches this campaign.
Manchester City got back to winning at West Ham with the help of Gabriel up front, but surely Aguero won't sit again. No matter the case, Kevin De Bruyne has been easier to trust of late and gets my backing against Swans. Outside of those favorites I'd be willing to look at Everton (vs. Bournemouth) once again with Watford (vs. Burnley) and West Brom (vs. Stoke) close behind.
This only means that Chris Brunt is back on the radar. Stoke are playing well, but leave a lot to be desired away from home. In Brunt's last six home matches, he has three goals, three assists and two clean sheets. And while he returned to left back a month ago, he has two goals in that period. Salomon Rondon would be in the debate as well, but he hasn't scored in his last seven.
Everton defenders have similar numbers to Brunt while playing at home with Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman leading the way. The Toffees held Man City and Southampton scoreless in their last two at Goodison Park, but in addition to that, Baines and Coleman have played as left and right midfielders recently in a 3-5-2 formation. I'll also give Romelu Lukaku the benefit of the doubt after failing to get a shot on net in the last two matches. As for their opponent, Bournemouth have seven losses in 11 road matches this season.
And Watford, recent winners over Arsenal, can't be ignored with a home match against Burnley. The Clarets may be in the top-half of the table, but continue to be miserable on the road with four goals scored and 22 allowed in 10 matches. Troy Deeney is a logical option up front, but Daryl Janmaat could end up being the best differential play for the armband as the defender has played on the right wing more often than not.
As for the weekly Liverpool update, many will be keen to go after Sadio Mane at Hull, but I doubt he's ready for a full 90 minutes after playing 15 in his return from a busy Africa Cup of Nations. To go along with that, Liverpool are still hard to trust no matter how that Chelsea match turned out.
