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FPL bosses combated the absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Jamie Vardy adequately well in Gameweek 20. While the obvious replacements weren't evident ahead of Gameweek 20, the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bukayo Saka have turned into the go-to picks for many FPL managers.
While they'll hope that these FPL assets will deliver in Gameweek 21, the captaincy choice, like in Gameweek 20, will be a bit tricky. With Manchester United traveling to Arsenal, the popular armband pick Bruno Fernandes, who incidentally blanked last week, isn't that viable anymore.
Spurs and Liverpool, meanwhile, face Brighton and West Ham away from home, respectively. While on paper, they might sound easy fixtures, these teams have proven tough to break down. Manchester City seems to be the team to back once more, with them hosting the Blades.
So on that note, let's take a look at the:
Top 5 FPL captaincy choices for Gameweek 21.
Honorable Mentions: Harvey Barnes (LEI) (MID) (£6.8 m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (EVE) (FWD) (£7.6 m), Bruno Fernandes (MUN) (MID) (£11.4 m), and Joao Cancelo (MCI) (DEF) (£5.9 m)
#5 Ilkay Gundogan (MCI) (MID) - £5.7 m (vs) SHU(H)
The Manchester City midfielder has thrived in an advanced role, and leads in many attacking stats since Gameweek 13, where he scored his first goal of the season. With seven goals in his last eight games, Gundogan has been in sensational form, and with De Bruyne out injured, he should continue to be the driving force in City's midfield.
Considering how often he gets into the box and the fact that he's on penalties, he can be a reliable armband option for FPL managers.
#4 Sadio Mane (LIV) (MID) - £11.8 m (vs) WHU(A)
The in-form Sadio Mane will be looking to build on his impressive midweek display against Spurs. Mane helped Liverpool break their goal drought by scoring once and supplying two assists in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Spurs. This took his tally to seven goals and seven assists for the season, his last attacking return coming in a 1-1 draw against West Brom.
Mane also replaced Salah at the top of the Threat index, and it underscores the quality of chances that he's getting and is likely to convert. While he isn't on penalties, his goal threat and clinical finishing make him a reliable FPL captaincy option, especially when Liverpool are in free-scoring mode.
#3 Son Heung-Min (TOT) (MID) - £9.7 m (vs) BHA(A)
Son Heung-Min continues to be a reliable armband pick as he has been since the start of the season. With just three attacking returns in the last five Gameweeks (before the LIV game), Son's season has slowed down from the whirlwind start. However, a recent formation change has allowed him to offer more of a goal threat, and his set-piece duties also add to his attacking potential.
While he doesn't have such a great record against Brighton, Son certainly has what it takes to produce a decent FPL haul in Gameweek 21.
#2 Mohamed Salah (LIV) (MID) - £12.5 m (vs) WHU(A)
Mohamed Salah got back on the scoresheet, albeit for a losing cause in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United. With the title race thrown wide open, defending champions Liverpool will look to bounce back from their dry spell in the league. Mohamed Salah will be fully fired up for this game, and he'll look to find the net once more.
While West Ham has defended well against the big teams, Liverpool has managed to find a way past the Hammers on most occasions. That, coupled with his good record against the team, makes Salah a decent FPL captaincy option.
#1 Raheem Sterling (MCI) (MID) - £11.5 m (vs) SHU(H)
Raheem Sterling produced a decent 11-point FPL haul for those managers who invested in him, with a goal and an assist in Gameweek 20. He also wore the captain's armband for the game, and that should reassure his FPL owners that he isn't likely to be benched.
While he hasn't thrived against the big oppositions, he has done admirably well against teams in the bottom half of the table. In fact, ten of his twelve attacking returns for the season have come from teams at the bottom of the table. Despite Sheffield United's resurgence, they're likely to be no match for an in-form City side, and Sterling's likely to get in on the FPL points in this game.
