This article is part of our The Armband series.
The Fantasy Premier League twitter account said it perfectly: never make a transaction before you have to, especially when the league has a break. You never know what can happen in the non-league, which is why waiting is the best bet. Notable non-league news includes Harry Kane notching a hat trick, Arsenal giving up at Bayern Munich and Leicester losing yet another match. The Foxes lost in miserable fashion to 10-man Millwall in the last minute to seal their fate in the FA Cup.
But while Gameweek 25 is long gone, there are still some important factors that can't be forgotten. Gabriel Jesus broke his foot, which means Sergio Aguero will return to Man City's starting XI. Manolo Gabbiadini has three goals in his first two Premier League matches for Southampton. Sadio Mane is back for Liverpool after scoring a brace in a win against Spurs, and the same can be said for Alexis Sanchez, though he never left us.
The only clubs with matches this midweek were Arsenal (Monday at Sutton United), Manchester City (Tuesday v. Monaco), Leicester (Wednesday at Sevilla) and Manchester United (Wednesday v. St. Etienne). This only means that Leicester will undoubtedly drop three more points in Gameweek 26, even at home against Liverpool.
Speaking of the Reds, this seems like a great time to reconsider Mane as a captain. Leicester have been much better at home, but have lost their lost two, 3-0 to both Chelsea and Man United. With a couple weeks off, Mane should be fully rested from his Africa Cup of Nations appearance, making him more worthy of the armband than Roberto Firmino or Philippe Coutinho. But before getting any further, make sure to take note that four teams are not in action: Manchester United, Manchester City, Southampton and Arsenal. In normal gameweeks, that would leave a huge hole for possible captains, but due to a favorable slate most fantasy bosses won't have to run to the transfer market to use their last wild card.
In addition to the Liverpool match, three other fixtures stand out: Chelsea v. Swansea, Everton v. Sunderland and Spurs v. Stoke. That means Eden Hazard and Diego Costa will be at the tip of tongues against a Swansea side that allows more than two goals per match on the road. Costa hasn't scored in his last three, but I'd put money on him finding the back of the net in this one. Marcos Alonso could also be looked at with hopes of a clean sheet, but Swansea laced up their scoring boots a few weeks ago, so it won't be easy.
Romelu Lukaku is dealing with a calf issue, but he should be ready for Sunderland. The Belgian has been much better at Goodison Road this season, scoring at least once in each of his last three starts there. A clean sheet is also a decent possibility for Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines as the Black Cats have scored just 10 in 12 road matches this season. Coleman has found the score sheet more often than Baines in recent matches, so he'd be the one to back if they were to have a head-to-head captain duel.
And of course, Mr. Kane is on the list. Similar to Lukaku, he has been better at home, scoring four goals in his last two at White Hart Lane. Of course, he's been extremely hit or miss this campaign and his opponent, Stoke City, haven't allowed more than one goal in their last six league matches. It's hard to argue with Kane, but both Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son have been more consistent at getting shots off in the last three matches.
For the rest, Hull (vs. Burnley) and Crystal Palace (vs. Middlesbrough) players can be considered, but there aren't many. The better option may be on West Brom as they host Bournemouth, a side with eight goals in 12 road matches. Of course, everyone knows where I'm going with this: Chris Brunt not only has a good clean sheet possibility, but he also takes corners and is creating chances at a consistent rate. The same can be said for Gareth McAuley and James Morrison, who has two goals and an assist in his last three. At the least, the Baggies are in a great position for three points.
