This article is part of our The Armband series.
The season is quickly coming to a close and that was made evident by numerous sides with nothing to play for switching around lineups. Arsenal were a main perpetrator, though they gave up on the campaign about a month ago. David Ospina got the start in net, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dropped to the bench against West Ham. For Man City, Nicolas Otamendi has been dropped for Aymeric Laporte the last couple matches and Kyle Walker has started one of the last three.
The bigger question going into Gameweek 36 may be what Liverpool do after Danny Ings started and scored at West Brom with Roberto Firmino on the bench. Equally relevant was that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson were rested and then played a full 90 in Tuesday's Champions League match against Roma. There's a good chance Joseph Gomez, Alberto Moreno and Ings start again for the Reds in their home match against Stoke. The main positive for Liverpool is that Mohamed Salah continues to start as he tries to increase his goal total, and he's the first place to look for a captain because of that.
Salah cannot be stopped after scoring a brace and assisting on two more in the midweek match against Roma. He has scored in 13 of his last 14 starts and is the most logical pick for the armband even if he doesn't play 90 minutes. Unfortunately, that's about it for Liverpool because Sadio Mane may only play 70 minutes (if at all), Firmino probably won't start and the back line is an unknown. Stoke are fighting for their Premier League lives, but they've given up more than two goals per away match this season.
The easier team to back may end up being Spurs with a home match against a Watford side that haven't scored in its last seven away trips in addition to losing 10 of their last 11 away from home. Those aren't good stats and Harry Kane will undoubtedly want to increase his goal total similar to last season when he scored eight goals in the final three matches. He still thinks he can catch Salah for the Golden Boot and will take as many shots as possible. Of course, that also puts Christian Eriksen in a nice spot (unless Kane steals his goal), as he's closed the season on a good note with eight shots on goal and 10 chances created over his last five starts. The differential captain would be a defender because it's almost a guarantee that Watford won't score (after this statement, they probably will). In the defensive rotation, Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies should be the ones in the starting XI.
Earlier in the season, Chelsea at Swansea would've been a great spot for a captain, but those days are gone. The Swans have at least been competent at home and still need a few more points to guarantee their spot above relegation. Chelsea have won their last three, but there's no guarantee to what the front line looks like after Eden Hazard and Willian were dropped last match. If that's the case again, I can't support giving the armband to Olivier Giroud or Alvaro Morata.
The situation is a little better for Man United as long as Arsenal don't close the season on a tear in honor of Arsene Wenger. Either way, the Gunners have the Europa League on Thursday and likely won't play their full squad against the Red Devils. Unfortunately, I can't trust any of United's top options after Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez were on the bench last match. The last time those two started, they lost at home to West Brom.
Man City are a much better place to turn with 100 points in their sight. The only worry is that West Ham have been decent at home this season with 20 goals scored and 21 allowed. Then again, that's not stopping anyone from backing the Sky Blues. Similar to last week, I'm sticking with Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus as my top captain plays and David Silva slightly above Kevin De Bruyne. Sterling has a goal or assist in his last six starts, while Jesus has done so in six of his last seven. At the least, there's no reason to suggest either will miss the lineup.
Outside of the big clubs, there could be some useful options. Newcastle have won their last four at home and get the lowly Baggies, which means Ayoze Perez has to be in the conversation. The Spaniard has three goals and two assists in his last four starts and that should be plenty enticing even though West Brom haven't lost their last three (their longest non-losing streak in league play this season).
Southampton would be in that same mold, but no one stands out for them in their match against Bournemouth. The best differential route has to be Burnley at home against Brighton, who have allowed eight goals in their last three on the road. As for Burnley, they have a trio of players worth considering: Johann Berg Gudmundsson may be the best bet due to his role on corners, and he has six shots and nine chances created in his three starts since returning from injury. Ashley Barnes doesn't get many chances, but he's been efficient with six goals from nine shots on target in his last eight starts. Finally, Chris Wood was more useful when he came off the bench, though he is no more worthy of the armband than Barnes.
