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Acca tips: Last Man Standing football predictions, picks and advice for August 21-24
Football
Thu August 20, 2026 · 2d ago
Joe Townsend
Joe Townsend
Image of the letter X with a black colouring.@JoesterT
Joe is our football editor, responsible for Sporting Life's output across multiple platforms, including This Week's Acca. As well as forming part of that team, he writes regular match previews across a variety of competitions.
In a new column Joe Townsend gives his verdict of who is best to pick for Last Man Standing, doubling up as acca tips and swerves.

What Is Last Man Standing?
For the uninitiated it makes sense to start with describing what this game, and therefore this article, actually is.

For those already in WhatsApp groups where Last Man Standing chat dominates, sorry for wasting your time.

The concept is a simple one: pick one team to win each week and keep going until everyone else is knocked out.

Usually there's a buy-in in the same way a sweepstake works, so the bigger the group the bigger the payout.

Each week, you choose a team you think will win. If they win, you’re through. Lose or draw and you’re out.

You can only pick each team once, which is where the tactics come in.

Do you keep backing the strongest clubs every week until you run out and hope for the best? Look a week or two ahead and save a strong team for when there's very little on offer?

It seems easy to start with but choices soon dry up, and you're bound to have shock results in there too. Before you know it a few (or even just one) of your mates is rooting for everyone's teams to lose so they can buy back in for a second game.

How does Last Man Standing work?
Decide the leagues included
Set a deadline
Each pick a team to win
Winners survive
No repeat selections
Last man standing wins
Basically, don't get knocked out.

Each week I'll run through the obvious picks and make a case for or against.

As the season goes on, and people are more likely to have used up the obvious teams, I'll try and dig out a few more obscure options but the column itself won't change hugely to allow for new Last Man games.

For the purposes of this column we'll stick to matches in the Premier League and EFL until the FA Cup third round.

Who should I pick in Last Man Standing this week?
Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes (left) celebrates after Kai Havertz scores their side's second goal during the FA Community Shield match at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff
ARSENAL 1/6 vs Coventry
Hull vs MAN UTD 2/5
The opening round of EFL matches proved that in the early part of the season we should be wary of odds-on favourites.

An unusual quirk of the fixture list meant there were only eight teams odds-on a week ago.

Of those eight only four won, one of which came via a stoppage-time goal. Two were beaten, with another only avoiding defeat through a very fortunate 93rd-minute penalty.

There are 23 teams shorter than even money this weekend, boosted by the start of the Premier League, which brings its own challenge of knowing who to back and to keep hold of.

ARSENAL are the standout on the schedule and come with the added bonus of playing on Friday night, meaning you are likely to be able to enjoy watching everyone else sweat after the Gunners inevitably sweep Coventry aside.

It's hard to argue with MANCHESTER UNITED against another newly-promoted team in Hull either.

Tactically it may be better to keep hold of both of these teams for future weeks, especially with there being so many strong options in the EFL, but the name of the game is to stay in it.

Teams to hold on to
MAN CITY 4/9 vs Bournemouth
Newcastle vs LIVERPOOL 17/20
Fulham vs CHELSEA 10/11
New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola
Tempting as it may be to dive straight into blindly backing Premier League favourites, there are far too many unknowns in Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea's opening fixtures.

All six managers take charge of their first league game with their new clubs, enough to put me off without even considering extra factors such as Fulham against Chelsea being a derby.

The EFL options
SOUTHAMPTON 8/13 vs Stoke
LEICESTER 2/5 vs Burton
LUTON 11/20 vs Notts County
STOCKPORT 8/15 vs Blackpool
BRISTOL ROVERS 3/5 vs Newport
Southampton manager Tonda Eckert
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert
If you do want to play it cute early on then there are a host of other options in the EFL. While each should win they all have caveats that make me more comfortable to sit on them for future weeks.

Southampton showed everything is not perfect post-Spygate by conceding twice early and losing 2-1 at Watford.

Leicester failed to beat newly-promoted Notts County, with Russell Martin's football usually taking a while to bed in. This weekend's opponents Burton thrived against League One’s better sides last season.

In recent years teams coming up from League Two have had a remarkably strong record in the opening weeks and it continued last weekend as they went undefeated, picking up eight points. That's enough to be wary of Luton - who came from 3-0 down to beat Reading 4-3 - against Notts County.

Stockport began with a thumping win at promotion rivals Plymouth and are certainly a team worth considering. Blackpool have made big improvements under Ian Evatt over the past 10 months and were unfortunate to only draw with Wycombe. There will be better weeks to back the Hatters.

On opening weekend in League Two, Bristol Rovers came out on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller at York while Newport thrashed Rochdale 3-0. There have been plenty of examples of teams finishing a season in incredible form under a new coach then struggling to pick up where they left off in the next, so it's perhaps worth reassessing Steve Evans’ men after a couple more games.

Teams to swerve
WEST HAM 1/3 vs Charlton
SWINDON 7/10 vs Cheltenham
PORT VALE 7/10 vs Tranmere
West Ham United's Taty Castellanos
West Ham's Taty Castellanos
West Ham ought to be a banker later in the season and I suspect this weekend lots will be rushing to get them into an accumulator.

They have shown plenty of vulnerability already by going 1-0 down at home to Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup and throwing away a 2-0 lead at Burnley late on to draw 2-2.

With lots of squad changes ongoing and faced with a local derby against a street-wise Charlton they scream potential coupon buster to me.

In League Two, Swindon's collapse in the second half of last season and Cheltenham's rise under Steve Cotterill makes this a complete avoid.

At the same price Port Vale host former boss Darrell Clarke and Tranmere, who started the campaign under their wily new manager with a comfortable win. Clarke thrives on being the underdog and his team could be one to watch this season.

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Bundesliga 26/27 outright tips, predictions, best bets and preview
Football
Mon August 24, 2026 · 16h ago
Tom Carnduff
Tom Carnduff
Image of the letter X with a black colouring.@TomCarnduff
Tom is a football journalist who is also key to our social media and AV content, and host of Sporting Life's This Week's Acca podcast. He produces regular football tips including a Friday Bundesliga column.
Football betting tips: Bundesliga
2pts Hoffenheim to finish in the top four at 4/1 (General)

2pts Freiburg to finish in the top four at 11/1 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet)

1pt Hoffenheim to win the Bundesliga (W/O Bayern Munich) at 25/1 (BetVictor)

1pt Freiburg to win the Bundesliga (W/O Bayern Munich) at 70/1 (Paddy Power)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

The Bundesliga is the best league to bet on when it comes to individual matches but probably the worst in terms of an outright for the season - of course the person with a weekly Friday column in this league would say that.

It's true though when we consider how few markets there are available with some of the other top European leagues. You've got a handful to go at and two of those have a clear favourite unlikely to be beaten.

Bayern Munich are as short as 1/12 in places to lift yet another Bundesliga title with star striker Harry Kane in at 2/5 with the couple of bookies who are offering a top goalscorer market - neither of those with each-way terms too.

You're essentially left with either finding who is going down or who is making Europe. Again, the latter's top four offering has three others at prices shorter than 1/2. In the eyes of the bookmakers, Germany's top-flight is easily predictable.

https://www.sportinglife.com/football/fixtures-results
The other end of the table is a little bit intriguing as even though there are two sides clear enough in the market the questions surrounding some of the 'bigger' clubs may give them a lifeline.

Elversberg - from the Spiesen-Elversberg with a population of around 13,000 - achieved their first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga and while they'll have an uphill battle to survive, they do come into the campaign with very little pressure.

Play-off winners Paderborn (who had to settle for third spot on goal difference last season) are offered at an odds-against 6/5 compared with Elversberg's 4/5 - both teams should struggle to survive - while second tier champions Schalke do actually go in at a bigger price than Köln.

And the presence of those two teams makes the relegation market a difficult one because someone needs to finish below them. Ending in 16th takes you to the play-offs and while the Zweiter has some talented teams and it, of course, has been achieved recently, you're asking a second division side to beat a top tier one over two legs.

Depending on the price, you may well be better off just backing the second division side in that scenario when it comes to it, rather than seeing your money held for a number of months for a potentially similar price.

The one I'd be somewhat tempted by is Werder Bremen at 7/1 after a season of regression last time out. They were active early in the window but high (enough) profile moves still need to come between now and the deadline. I'm not sure on the quality in depth of this squad even if boss Daniel Thioune can, be all accounts, motivate his sides to get results.

Elversberg will represent a town of around 13,000 people
Elversberg will represent a town of around 13,000 people
So we focus on the top end of the table. Bayern aren't even worth including in any outright accumulators such is their short price for success - they're adding virtually nothing to it.

The only real way in I can see is by taking a couple of sides who I fancy to be in the European picture again, even if they are contending with competitions on the continent this time around.

I honestly can't really place either between third and eighth in the table but at the prices, they're still worth backing in two markets.

We'll focus on the shorter of the two and that's HOFFENHEIM, with 4/1 available on a TOP FOUR FINISH and 25s that they WIN THE BUNDESLIGA W/O BAYERN MUNICH.

Performances last time out led them to a Europa League spot with boss Christian Ilzer leading them to fifth in the table.

It was a complete transformation from the horror season prior. They would finish 15th and frustrations were evident when striker Andrej Kramaric gave an explosive interview following a 5-0 thrashing by Bayern Munich.

"If I want to say the truth and some things which are on my mind about the club and the situation, I will get the biggest punishment in the history of the Bundesliga," he said.


They bounced back though. Not only that but this summer has been a net positive even with the high-money departure of Bazoumana Touré to Newcastle and Grischa Prömel's (ten goal involvements last season) move to Stuttgart.

Those funds have been reinvested into the squad. They've kept together the large core of that group which finished a single point out of the top four last season and added in a number of areas. They look well equipped for another positive campaign.

The wonderfully named Nathan De Cat arrives in the middle of the park with the 18-year-old catching the eye for Anderlecht, while wingers Adam Daghim and Patrick Wimmer, left-back Mats Rots and defensive midfielder Cajetan Lenz are others to have commanded eight-figure fees.

Last season's performances pretty much matched their results overall so we can be confident that their position wasn't a false one. Ilzer and his staff are now well-settled in their roles and an intense, attacking style should work again given the squad at his disposal.

Prices of 7/4 are on offer with the bookmakers giving you a top six market, but I'll settle on the 4s to better last season's showing.

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Jake Osgathorpe's Premier League tips and predictions: 26/27 Sunday Matchday 2
Football
Sat August 29, 2026 · 13h ago
Jake Osgathorpe
Jake Osgathorpe
Image of the letter X with a black colouring.@JAKEOZZ
Jake is our deputy football editor, involved in the planning and delivery of content across our business. His own column, Jake's Predictions, is a profitable, weekly look at every round of Premier League fixtures.
Jake's 26/27 Predictions: Staked 15.8pts | Returned 8.86pts | P/L -6.94pts | ROI -43%
Matchday 2 previews - Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Super 6 round 2
Football betting tips: Premier League
14:00 Sunday - Chelsea vs Brighton

2.5pts Maxim De Cuyper to create 2+ shots at 4/5 (Sky Bet) - min price 8/13

0.5pt Maxim De Cuyper to create 3+ shots at 23/10 (Paddy Power) - min price 11/8

1.25pt Cole Palmer and Maxim De Cuyper to both create 2+ shots at 2/1 (Sky Bet) - min price 13/10

0.25pt Cole Palmer and Maxim De Cuyper to both create 3+ shots at 9/1 (Paddy Power) - min price 6/1

14:00 Sunday - Leeds vs Brentford

1.5pts Under 2.5 goals at 10/11 (General)

14:00 Sunday - Sunderland vs Fulham

1pts Gonzalo Garcia to score anytime at 13/5 (bet365) - min price 15/8

16:30 Sunday - Man Utd vs Ipswich

2pts Abdul Fatawu to win 2+ fouls at 5/4 (bet365) - min price 8/11

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair


Chelsea vs Brighton
Kick-off: Sunday, 14:00 BST
TV: Sky Sports Main Event
Live odds, form and stats
This game should be a whole lot of fun. Chelsea looked dangerously good in attack on Monday against Fulham but very gettable defensively, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez not filling a suspect backline with much confidence.

Brighton thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 in a swashbuckling display and hit Tromsø for the same number in midweek to book their spot in the Conference League proper, with the Seagulls seemingly purring out of the gate this season. They will play on the front foot here which should mean an end-to-end game with plenty of chances and goals.

The bet that catches my eye though is the 4/5 about MAXIM DE CUYPER TO CREATE 2+ SHOTS which looks utterly massive for quite a few reasons.

The first and most obvious one is that he is playing as an out-and-out left-winger this season as opposed to left-back, meaning he gets the ball in much more advanced areas.

Secondly, he has landed this bet in both starts so far this term.

Maxim De Cuyper looks value this weekend
Maxim De Cuyper looks value this weekend
Thirdly, he averaged 2.04 chances created last season despite playing as a full-back for nearly all of the campaign.

And finally he looks to be on in-swinging corners, taking five in his two starts and, with Brighton having a real set-piece threat given the height of their centre-backs, that is a bonus for this bet.

This market does offer the Super Sub concession too which is another big plus for us, but I'd expect De Cuyper to have 2+ wrapped up before any substitution.

We also have to take the 3+ CHANCES CREATED too at 23/10 given everything listed above and for how end-to-end this game could be. Super Sub may be needed for this if De Cuyper is withdrawn as he has been in his two starts, but his replacement in both - Ibrahim Osman - has created one chance in each after coming on.

I'll also combine DE CUYPER 2+ SHOTS CREATED with COLE PALMER 2+ SHOTS CREATED for a 2/1 shot that looks way too big. Palmer is 8/11 for just two created himself which looks too big itself as a single, but we'll combine value upon value for a nice double.

Cole Palmer looks back to his creative best
Cole Palmer looks back to his creative best
Palmer grabbed an assist on Monday and created three chances for his teammates, while in midweek he created five chances against Luton in the Carabao Cup. Barring a dip last season (1.10 chances created per 90) when he was in and out of a team that was in total disarray, Palmer has always been a creator.

In 24/25 he averaged 2.51 shots created per 90 in the league and it was 2.47 per 90 the year before, so with the signs being there that he's back to those levels, we have to back him as well in a wide open game.

For a bigger swing we'll also take both players TO CREATE 3+ SHOTS at 17/2, with the bookies offering this market all including the Super Sub concession.

Score prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Brighton (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)

Odds correct at 16:10 BST (28/08/26)

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Leeds vs Brentford
Kick-off: Sunday, 14:00 BST
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Live odds, form and stats
Both Leeds and Brentford have made excellent starts to the season. Leeds have won twice, both away at Nottingham Forest, without conceding and the Bees have won both of their games and scored nine goals in the process.

These two sides look like proper European contenders. Well built, well organised and tough to beat. Like last week's game involving Leeds, which was settled by a last minute free-kick, this could be another where two teams of similar level cancel each other out.

Daniel Farke
Leeds' success at the back end of last season, and the opening throes of this campaign have come thanks to a solid defensive base. Ever since switching to a back five at the end of November, Leeds have conceded just 31 goals in 25 league games and allowed 1.36 xGA per game, ranking sixth-best on both metrics.

They nullified Nottingham Forest last week (0.66 xG) and are capable of doing the same to Brentford, though going forward they aren't overly exciting. I want to lean into that defensive solidity and chance UNDER 2.5 GOALS at 10/11.

Both of the meetings last season came after Leeds' switch to the back five, and both went under with a 1-1 at the Gtech and a goalless draw at Elland Road. Across the two meetings there was a combined xG total of just 3.2 xG, highlighting how few and far between the good chances were.

Score prediction: Leeds 1-1 Brentford (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Odds correct at 16:10 BST (28/08/26)

Sunderland vs Fulham
Kick-off: Sunday, 14:00 BST
TV: Sky Sports+
Live odds, form and stats
Anyone who watched Monday Night Football and thought afterwards, 'Fulham could be in trouble this season', must've watched a different game to me. Yes they were porous defensively in conceding three goals, but let's not forget they were playing against one of the best teams in the league.

I thought they held their own impressively against a Chelsea side I have high hopes for this season. Compare that to Sunderland who were deservedly beaten on the road against a newly promoted side and I'd say there is more cause for concern around the Black Cats.

Ipswich let Sunderland have the ball which is the sort of game Regis Le Bris' side doesn't want. They'd prefer to sit in, defend and fight before springing, which means this game could be one that suits, but I've been drawn in by the price about Fulham's new number nine TO SCORE ANYTIME.

GONZALO GARCIA is a fantastic signing, I'm confident in saying he's an upgrade on what they had last season. Watching him for Real Madrid, his movement and knack for getting himself in the right position, his anticipation for where the ball will be is top level.

We saw that for his goal against Chelsea, muscling in the wrong side of the defender, waiting and hoping for Robert Sanchez to spill it in his direction. He followed that goal with a much more dynamic strike against Wimbledon in midweek, and the Spaniard has hit the ground running.

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Xabi Alonso is already showing he can make Chelsea into title contenders
Football
Tue September 01, 2026 · 15h ago
Alex Keble
Alex Keble
Football Columnist
Chelsea are not the team we thought they were. That is the highest praise you could offer Xabi Alonso two games into the job.

The symbolic offer to be ‘manager’ and not ‘head coach’ was backed up this summer by several key signings of over-30s players along with a slightly quieter window that has allowed Alonso to finesse a squad more stacked with talent than many realise.

But that isn’t what really stands out about Alonso’s era-shifting job so far.

A more pertinent symbol of the new direction was Chelsea’s pundit-melting 26% possession in the 4-3 victory over Brighton, a statistic that had many people question whether Chelsea really deserved the win, reflecting a cultural obsession with possession that Alonso is challenging.

What critics failed to see was the intentionality of Alonso’s approach; a rare act of tactical humility enacted after studying Brighton’s strengths and weaknesses.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team are superb at breaking, not so good at breaking teams down. Last season Brighton won eight of 28 matches in which they held 50% or more possession, winning 1.2 points per game, and six out of ten matches when holding less than 50% possession, winning 2.0 points per game.

Brighton love open and direct contests, so Alonso instructed his players to sit back, gift Brighton the ball, and hit on the counter, notably dropping off rather than pressing whenever the visitors had control.

The last Chelsea manager to renounce possession, to adapt his team to the opposition rather than rely on classic big-dog principles, also happens to be the last guy who won them the title – and he did it in his debut season, playing a 3-4-3, and benefiting from a lack of midweek European football.

The similarities between Alonso’s 2026/27 and Antonio Conte’s 2016/17 are well documented, but it wasn’t until the Brighton match that we saw the tactical side of their relationship.

Chelsea were happy to defend deep (backing off significantly in order to prevent Brighton from being able to spin around markers and pass vertically up the pitch) before jumping together on the counter-attack led by Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto.


Here, again, we see the Conte influence.

Winger Victor Moses was the secret weapon at wing-back a decade ago and it looks as though Alonso has already found his equivalent in Neto, a smart and hard-working player who will benefit from sprinting into the final third from deep.

It will take pundits a while to catch up to Alonso’s not-Guardiola ideas about football, but the fans will get there straight away.

Jose Mourinho built the modern Chelsea in his image, making Stamford Bridge more pliable to individualism, collective defending, and counter-attacking than any other super-club ground in England.

They are, like no other, a results-first club.

And results are already coming in. Rogers and Cole Palmer have a telepathic connection as dual tens, forged in childhood together. Jorrel Hato looks like an elite left wing-back already. Romeo Lavia finally has a chance to prove his talent, completing an excellent central midfield with Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and those two versatile full-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto.

Joao Pedro was always an elite coach away from being among world-leading, as we are already seeing. Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana are finally injury free, giving Chelsea two of the best centre-backs in the division.

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez
Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez
Emiliano Martinez is that final piece of the jigsaw; a goalkeeper with experience and charisma on the field and off it.

Conte only really needed 13 or 14 players to sweep to the title in what was a fallow year for English football, and although Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal make things a little harder in 2026, everything is falling into place for arguably the one truly world-class manager (Arteta aside) now working in the Premier League.

There is plenty of work still to be done, of course.

Conceding five goals in the first two matches shows how difficult it can be to absorb a brand new formation in a single summer. But lest we forget Conte’s Chelsea got off to a thorny start, winning three of their first six, before he switched to his usual 3-4-3 and things clicked.

In other words, it took Conte six Premier League matches to show the confidence to go against the grain, and the singularity of thought, that Alonso has already displayed in his second match in charge.

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Champions League tips: Napoli vs Arsenal predictions, best bets & preview
Football
Wed September 09, 2026 · 1h ago
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
Jimmy is a football journalist specialising in tipping, including the lower leagues. With a clear preference for trixies and big prices, he provides expert insight in his weekly column, Jimmy's Punt.
Football betting tips: Champions League
2pts Arsenal to win and under 4.5 goals at 21/20 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

0.5pt Gabriel Magalhaes to score anytime at 9/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair


TV: TNT Sports 2
Live odds, form and stats
Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign with a trip to Naples.

Mikel Arteta’s side finished as runners-up last season, losing on penalties to PSG in the final, but were faultless in the group stage and look even stronger this time around.

The Gunners took maximum points from eight games and didn’t concede a goal until the visit of Bayern Munich in gameweek five.

They kept five clean sheets in the league phase, nine in total and didn’t lose any of their 15 games in 90 minutes across the entire competition (W11 D4).

Arsenal
Arteta’s improved the squad this summer and they have made a perfect start to their domestic campaign winning all four of their games and have kept three clean sheets.

They started the season with a 3-0 win against Manchester City in the Community Shield and came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in their most recent Premier League game.

It doesn’t make good reading for hosts Napoli, who will be without talisman Scott McTominay on Wednesday evening. The former Manchester United man faces a spell on the sidelines after undergoing heart surgery.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side beat Genoa in their first Serie A game of the season but have since lost against Como and Inter, conceding a total of five goals.

For context, Arsenal went to San Siro and beat Scudetto holders Inter 3-1 last campaign, a side Napoli finished 11 points behind in the Italian top flight.

In this competition last term, Gli Azzurri lost 2-0 at the Etihad and 3-2 at home to Chelsea. Their only wins came at home to Sporting and Qarabag.

Although the price for ARSENAL to win is tempting at a general 3/4, backing the visitors TO WIN AND UNDER 4.5 GOALS appeals much more at odds against.

It’s clicked in all four of Arsenal’s wins this season, 10 of their 11 wins in this competition last season and 82% of their 44 wins in all competitions.

Gabriel Magalhaes
At 9/1, GABRIEL MAGALHAES' price TO SCORE ANYTIME is also worth a punt.

He’s scored two goals across his last 21 Champions League appearances (0.10 goals per 90) and has a domestic goals per 90 average of 0.09.

The Brazilian is yet to open his account for the campaign but has racked up an expected goals (xG) of 0.49.

It’s also worth noting Napoli have shipped 2.22 worth of expected goals against (xGA) from set-pieces this term with Inter’s back three combining for 0.48 worth of xG on Saturday.

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Football accumulator tips: This Week's Acca from Sporting Life for Saturday 12/9/26
Football
Fri September 11, 2026 · 2h ago
This Week's Acca
This Week's Acca
Made up of Tom, Jake, Joe and Jimmy, our This Week's Acca team combine to identify value accumulators in the EFL plus some of the biggest TV matches in all competitions.
The This Week's Acca team have picked out a 15/2 treble for the weekend alongside a 35/1 fivefold, enhanced by Sky Bet, Betfair and Paddy Power.

***Original price of 19/2 cut into 15/2 at 18:00 BST (22/08/26)

twa
CLICK HERE to back on Sky Bet
CLICK HERE to back on Betfair
CLICK HERE to back on Paddy Power
All three firms will now also offer 2UP settlement terms meaning if a team goes two goals ahead at any point in their match, that leg will be considered a winner.

It’s a clash between top and bottom in League One at Hillsborough where SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY look a big price to beat Wigan. The Owls have quickly shrugged off last season's disappointment to win four of their opening five games and the underlying data backs up their impressive start. The visitors have only won once in the league (L4) losing both away trips to Cambridge and Wimbledon.

ROTHERHAM are worth siding with at a big price against Salford. The visitors have failed to live up to their price as pre-season title favourites in League Two (W2 L3) with both victories coming by a one-goal margin despite going off as heavy favourites on each occasion. The Millers rank third for xG goal-difference (+3.2) compared to Salford in 14th (-0.6) and the hosts have had a much tougher schedule too.

Rochdale have struggled to adapt in the fourth tier, winning just one of their opening five league games, losing to Gillingham, Colchester, Crawley and Newport - a fairly kind schedule. It’s hard to make a case for them at WALSALL, who are unbeaten in the league (W2 D3) top the charts for clean sheets (3) and haven’t lost in 90 minutes in all competitions this season. Rochdale are winless on the road (L3) and have only scored one away goal.

***Original price of 45/1 cut into 35/1 at 18:00 BST (22/08/26)

twa
CLICK HERE to back on Sky Bet
CLICK HERE to back on Betfair
CLICK HERE to back on Paddy Power
All three firms will now also offer 2UP settlement terms meaning if a team goes two goals ahead at any point in their match, that leg will be considered a winner.

After taking four points from Wolves and Middlesbrough in their first two games Blackburn have failed to win any of their next five in all competitions, conceding multiple goals in four of those fixtures. MILLWALL may have some injury issues but they have won three of their five league games this term and had the best away record in the Championship last season.

BLACKPOOL have struggled for form this campaign (WDWLWLL) with only one win across their last four in all competitions. Their home form is good though, going unbeaten across their last seven in League One (W6 D1) and boasting a 100% record against last season's bottom four. Survival will be the aim for opponents Bromley who after starting with a win and a draw have lost their last three, failing to score in two and conceding 14 goals.

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https://www.satsupreme.com/showthrea...-News%E2%95%91

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Manchester United vs Brighton tips, predictions, best bets & Carabao Cup preview
Football
Wed September 16, 2026 · 25 min ago
Joe Townsend
Joe Townsend
Image of the letter X with a black colouring.@JoesterT
Joe is our football editor, responsible for Sporting Life's output across multiple platforms, including This Week's Acca. As well as forming part of that team, he writes regular match previews across a variety of competitions.
Football betting tips: Carabao Cup
1.5pts Pascal Struijk 1+ shots at 12/5 (bet365)

0.5pt Struijk 2+ shots at 12/1 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair


TV: ITV1/Sky Sports
Live odds, form and stats
It hasn't taken long for VAR to hit the headlines this season, with Erling Haaland and Manchester City the beneficiaries as officials wrongly overruled the on-field decision and awarded what proved to be the only goal of Sunday's Manchester derby.

Manchester United had every right to feel aggrieved, but the controversial nature of their defeat provided a convenient distraction from the reality of a thoroughly underwhelming performance.

Michael Carrick's side had a man advantage from the 23rd minute and yet for long spells, given how easily City were able to dominate possession, you could have been forgiven for thinking they were the team with a player fewer.

It will certainly be a concern that a 4-0 thrashing of Azerbaijani minnows Sabah is so far the only showing United can hang their hat on, with four points from four Premier League games a reflection of their inability to deliver consistent performances.

Michael Carrick following Manchester United's draw with Everton
They remain defensively vulnerable, conceding seven times already in the top flight and allowing an average of 1.3 expected goals against (xGA) per game - a hugely concerning number given their favourable schedule against two newly-promoted teams, Everton and a City side who were down to 10 men for 70 minutes.

BRIGHTON are not the team they would choose to meet right now.

Albion are streets clear of the rest of the division in all attacking metrics this term, scoring the most goals (13), creating the most xG (10.2) and big chances (19) and averaging the most shots on target (6.0) per game.

Only Chelsea (4) have scored more than Brighton's three set-piece goals, and with that an area United continue to struggle in it is worth targeting more success in those situations.

It was an angle I went for on Sunday but City's early red card scuppered its chances. Even so, Josko Gvardiol managed to have a shot from a set-piece, meaning an opposing defender has done so from a dead-ball situation in every United match this season.

None have scored since Hull duo Nobel Mendy and Semi Ajayi on opening weekend and with PASCAL STRUIJK a little short at 11/1 to score anytime backing him in the SHOTS market is the way to go.

Fabian Hurzeler tends to change half his team for the Carabao Cup and always rests captain Lewis Dunk. With Struijk yet to start since joining from Leeds for £20m he is almost certain to come into the XI.

pascal struijk shot map
After scoring five times in back-to-back seasons he failed to find the net last term, but still racked up 3.0 xG in the league at a shots per 90 average of 0.95. He had multiple attempts in 19% of his appearances, but only hit the target in 13%.

He is therefore backed to have 1+ and 2+ SHOTS at 12/5 and 12/1 respectively, rather than the 7/1 for 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET.

Given that 85% of his attempts last term came with his head, the 10/1 for 1+ HEADED SHOTS ON TARGET is a sizeable bump should you be tempted, and if you're interested he is 40/1 for 2+ SHOTS ON TARGET - an understandably big price as it's not something he managed at all last season, and achieved only twice across the previous two campaigns in the Championship.

This is the Manchester United defence we're talking about though...

Fabian Hurzeler
For what it's worth, were this a league match I'd be tempted to take the visitors at 3/1 but with the added uncertainty of a cup game, United remaining something of an enigma and the fact defeat by City was a rare blemish on Carrick's outstanding home record (W10 L2) since arriving in January, I'll leave the 1x2.

Should Brighton make a raft of changes and the price drifts even further, they are probably worth backing.

[miri-01]

Tom Carnduff's Bundesliga tips: Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin on Friday September 18
Football
Fri September 18, 2026 · 3h ago
Tom Carnduff
Tom Carnduff
Image of the letter X with a black colouring.@TomCarnduff
Tom is a football journalist who is also key to our social media and AV content, and host of Sporting Life's This Week's Acca podcast. He produces regular football tips including a Friday Bundesliga column.
Tom Carnduff's Fussball am Freitag 25/26: Staked: 64.5pts | Returned: 80.72pts | P/L: +16.22pts | ROI: 25%
Tom Carnduff's Fussball am Freitag 26/27: Staked: 9.5pts | Returned: 12.5pts | P/L: +3pts | ROI: 32%
Football betting tips: Bundesliga
2pts Aleksandar Pavlovic 2+ total shots at 7/4 (bet365)

1pt Aleksandar Pavlovic 2+ shots on target at 10/1 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

I'm unsure if the lack of variation in fixtures has been a positive or a negative for this column in the opening weeks of the season.

The opening night saw Bayern Munich hammer Stuttgart. The following week, Stuttgart bounced back by thrashing Köln. Seven days later we had Schalke's win over Union Berlin. This edition sees Bayern Munich hosting Union Berlin.

The bookmakers see this as straightforward as straightforward can be, although I wouldn't attach the word 'straightforward' to Bayern Munich across the first few outings.

Sure, we've seen the expected attacking brilliance in wins over Stuttgart and Bodo/Glimt but away games haven't followed a similar path. Schalke frustrated them in a 0-0 draw while they needed Harry Kane to strike as the second-half was getting on to get past newly-promoted minnows Elversberg.

This is at home though, back in Bavaria on the opening weekend of Oktoberfest and against an Union side who have offered very little so far. How could we possibly disagree with the 1/11 price on the Bayern victory?

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin
Kick-off: Friday, 19:30 GMT
TV: BBC iPlayer, Bundesliga YouTube
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With that price for success comes the expected short odds elsewhere. Five Bayern players find themselves shorter than even money to strike anytime with two others no bigger than 6/5.

Over 4.5 goals also fails to break evens but BTTS is the same price if you fancy Union to find a way through. I did consider it given some of Bayern's displays so far but I just don't know how much I can trust the visitors.

Instead, I'm looking for a way into this Bayern side and that comes in the form of ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC, with the midfielder priced at 7/4 (around 6/4 elsewhere in places) for 2+ TOTAL SHOTS and 10s for 2+ SHOTS ON TARGET.

Both are prices worth taking based on his early season showings, with bet365 a 'super sub' firm even if he has a habit of playing 90 minutes. The previous campaign saw him begin to establish himself as a real starter in this side with an injury-free extended run of games.

Aleksandar Pavlovic shot map
While he may only have eight goals and seven assists in 105 outings for the club, this season has seen him given a little bit more attacking freedom and that is shown in the early shots count.

Pavlovic has returned three shots in two of his three Bundesliga appearances with two coming in that Champions League success over Bodo/Glimt.

The midfielder only saw ten efforts across 1,460 minutes of German top-flight football last season. The current campaign's delivered six in just 248 minutes. Not a great deal has changed in terms of position and it may be down to the calibre of opponent faced but he's seemingly spent less time on the ball in his own half.

Union conceded 21 shots (ten on target) in a convincing 4-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, while they come into this game on the back of shipping 19 (ten on target) in the defeat to Schalke last time out.

A defence under pressure does not need a trip to Bayern. You'd fancy most of those wearing the Oktoberfest-inspired colourful shirt to try and get in on the act, but Pavlovic represents the best value among the options.

[miri-01]

Have Tottenham Hotspur fallen into a Manchester United-esque trap?
Football
Mon September 21, 2026 · 2h ago
Ryan Baldi
Ryan Baldi
Tottenham spent the summer behaving like a club determined never again to find itself peering over the edge of relegation.

Published prior to the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa
More than £300 million went on new players after consecutive 17th-place finishes, the second of which came under Roberto De Zerbi following Thomas Frank’s mid-season dismissal.

Three games into the new Premier League campaign, Spurs have one point and no goals.

That does not mean the rebuild has failed. It does, however, make one question feel considerably less premature than Tottenham would like: have they built an expensive new team, or an expensive Roberto De Zerbi team?

There is a difference, as Manchester United have spent much of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era demonstrating.

United repeatedly appointed a manager with a distinctive idea, allowed him to stock the squad with players suited to it and then abandoned that idea when the results proved underwhelming.

His successor inherited an awkward collection of specialists, reputations and enormous contracts. Selling them required accepting huge losses, so most stayed and became progressively less useful.

David Moyes was allowed to bring Marouane Fellaini from Everton, only to be dismissed before the midfielder had completed his first season. Louis van Gaal arrived with a possession-heavy positional game and signed Daley Blind, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Later, Erik ten Hag reached for players who understood his methods or had worked within a familiar Dutch ecosystem. Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana, Antony and Matthijs de Ligt all followed him to Manchester.

Under Ruben Amorim, United signed a specialist wing-back in Patrick Dorgu and wide forwards who do not naturally provide much width in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. All of that makes sense when stocking up for Amorim's 3-4-3 system; less so when operating with a back four and a more conventional front three, as United now are under Michael Carrick.

https://www.sportinglife.com/football/fixtures-results
Some of those signings have been good players and some good signings. That was never the whole problem. United kept changing the question and wondering why the previous answer no longer worked.

Antony became the most spectacular example. Signed from Ajax for £81.3 million at Ten Hag’s urging, he was sold to Real Betis three years later for an initial £19 million. United’s overall loss could reach roughly £60 million. He was not merely an expensive winger who underperformed. He was an expensive winger bought to perform a precise role for a manager whose authority did not last.

Tottenham may now be taking the same gamble on a still grander scale.

Jan Paul van Hecke, signed from Brighton for a reported £52 million, is the most obvious De Zerbi recruit. He played under the Italian on the south coast and understands the demands placed on a centre-back in his system: invite pressure, remain composed in tight spaces and pass through an opponent rather than around them.

De Zerbi described bravery in possession as central to the signing.

Mykhailo Mudryk, recruited on loan from Chelsea with a reported £75 million buy option, also has a prior relationship with the manager from their time together at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Savio, bought from Manchester City for £75 million plus potential add-ons, is a winger schooled in the positional principles De Zerbi values.

Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, signed for £85 million and up to £100 million respectively, provide the technical security and press resistance required to play through midfield.

Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali was one of Spurs' big-money summer recruits
Even the wider recruitment fits the same picture.

Marcos Senesi arrived on a free transfer to offer another left-footed centre-back comfortable with construction from deep. Andy Robertson brought experience and attacking width.

Omar Marmoush joined from Manchester City on a loan carrying an obligation to buy reportedly worth £50 million, giving De Zerbi a mobile forward capable of moving across the front line.

The individual quality is not really in doubt. Tonali has been one of the Premier League’s finest midfielders. Fernandes impressed even as West Ham were relegated. Van Hecke developed into an accomplished defender at Brighton, while Savinho has the technique and acceleration to trouble almost any full-back.

The concern is how much Tottenham have paid for a group who principally only work only under one particular set of instructions.

De Zerbi’s football asks unusual things of players. Goalkeepers and defenders are encouraged to hold the ball until opponents commit. Midfielders receive under intense pressure. Attacks can appear slow before accelerating suddenly once the press has been broken.

When it works, it makes opponents look foolish. When it does not, it can make the team attempting it appear needlessly vulnerable.

Jan Paul van Hecke
Jan Paul van Hecke worked with Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton
A replacement manager might want his centre-backs defending deeper and releasing the ball sooner. He might prefer direct wingers, a fixed centre-forward or a more destructive holding midfielder.

A £52 million defender selected partly because he already speaks De Zerbi’s footballing language then becomes a less obvious asset. A pair of midfielders costing a combined £185 million can begin to look like an indulgence rather than a foundation.

Spurs are not yet trapped. De Zerbi deserves time to organise a squad transformed in the space of one window, particularly after inheriting a team which had just endured another desperate season. New players need familiarity, injured attackers need to return and three matches represent evidence of a bad start rather than proof of a doomed project.

There are also important differences between Tottenham now and United at their most chaotic.

Spurs have generally bought players in or near their prime, while Tonali, Fernandes, Savinho and Van Hecke should retain substantial market value. The recruitment is stylistically coherent, which is preferable to collecting famous names without any thought as to how they might interact.

But coherence can become dependence. Tottenham’s summer only makes sense if De Zerbi succeeds, or if any eventual replacement shares enough of his principles to use the squad he leaves behind.

That is the wager. Spurs have not merely backed their manager. They have handed him a squad worth hundreds of millions and allowed him to shape it in his own image.

Manchester United can explain what happens next if the image cracks.