This article is part of our The Armband series.
In atypical fashion, there were no surprises in Gameweek 1 of the Premier League season. Everything went as planned, with most of the favorites taking three points. Chelsea and Liverpool were expected to win big and they did, while Man City look set for another title after disposing of Arsenal at the Emirates. Maybe wins and clean sheets for Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Watford weren't expected, but it's not like they upset their opponents. I even said Callum Wilson would make sense for the armband and he was the top forward. Sure, he wasn't in my top five, but let's just say I told you to captain him.
The biggest talking fantasy point from the weekend may be the defensive dominance, especially in bonus points. Nine different defenders reached 11 fantasy points, while Wilson (eight) was the leading forward and five midfielders hit that point total. That won't be the case every gameweek, but with Spurs (v. FUL) and Man City (v. HUD) in good spots, more clean sheets are ahead for the top teams.
Starting with those sides, Harry Kane got a surprise start in the opener, and while he doesn't score in August, he will be captained by many this time around. Christian Eriksen may be the better option given Kane's struggles in August, and he at least had a shot on goal and created five chances against Newcastle. Fulham lost 2-0 at home to Palace, so there's no telling how they'll play at Wembley against a better squad.
Man City should be set for a performance similar to Liverpool's 4-0 romp over West Ham. The problem is figuring out which players will make the score sheet after Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling scored against the Gunners. Sergio Aguero is always a good, but it looks like he'll be an early sub (or bench) candidate every match because of Gabriel Jesus. There's a chance – or a likelihood – that City's starting XI will look different against Huddersfield, with Jesus, Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne all possibilities to enter the squad. Aguero is still the lone forward with the best shot at regular minutes, so he's the top option. The other positions are a mess, though I think De Bruyne starts this match. I'll throw Benjamin Mendy into the conversation, as well, because he's at least guaranteed to start with a clean sheet possible, and he got forward plenty against Arsenal (two shots, four crosses).
Liverpool and Mohamed Salah are next in line with a trip to Crystal Palace to close out the gameweek Monday. Sadio Mane stole the spotlight with a brace in the opener, but Salah did what everyone expected with a goal from three shots on target and two chances created. He's still the best player to back on the Reds mainly because Mane and Roberto Firmino could switch spots as the secondary goal scorer every match. Palace looked good in their opener, yet still allowed 15 shots and only had 34 percent possession against Fulham. Aleksandar Mitrovic also had numerous opportunities up front (seven shots), and if anyone on Liverpool gets those chances, they will likely convert.
Manchester United are another top club with a decent matchup in a trip to Brighton. Considering Brighton were stomped by Watford (zero shots on goal, five chances created), the Red Devils could do the same, even away. The good news is that Romelu Lukaku should return to the starting XI after playing 23 minutes last Friday. He's at least a known presence for United, while Alexis Sanchez is good but his production is lacking with Man United. Plus, there's no arguing Lukaku's 16 goals and seven assists last campaign.
As for everyone looking for a captain differential like Wilson last week, there are a few places to look. Everton have their home opener against a Southampton side that had trouble at home against Burnley, and while Richarlison is the talk of the league, he left the first match with a bit of a calf problem. This contest has the makings of a Gylfi Sigurdsson breakout after he led everyone astray by getting subbed early against Wolves. He had five crosses in only 43 minutes in that match and is a good bet to at least assist against the Saints.
Elsewhere, Leicester host Wolves, which will undoubtedly result in a few goals. Jamie Vardy should get the nod over Kelechi Iheanacho, and he's always a better play at home. Any of the midfielders could be slated for assists, but guessing from that bunch is a toss up, especially with James Maddison still possibly on a minutes limit (he played 63 in the first match).
The biggest stretch for captain would be looking at someone from West Ham (v. BOU) or Burnley (v. WAT). This is a perfect spot for Marko Arnautovic to open his account after averaging 2.75 shots and 1.36 chances created per 90 minutes last season. Chris Wood isn't far behind (2.20 shots per 90), though he's mostly a goal poacher and is less likely to pick up an assist.
The biggest match of the weekend is Chelsea against Arsenal, but it's best to avoid them for captaincy.
