The international break is finally over. From a Last Man perspective, we're back in business.
Back to a full fixture list, with 92 teams to pick from.
For those new to the game, column or both, here's a quick summary of what it's all about, then we'll get into this weekend's action.
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?
Coupon busters
Being perfectly honest there are a probably more short-priced favourites that I hate than like this week.
CHELSEA likely beat Bournemouth but would you back them? Fifteen goals conceded in seven games with Sky Bet League One outfit Luton the only opponent that has failed to score at least twice. The Cherries have looked good and their underlying numbers are encouraging, with late goals so far costly.
SHEFFIELD UNITED sold their best players in the summer, have started poorly and are showing few signs of improving. Despite a change in manager Lincoln have picked up where they left off after romping to the League One title and the data suggests it's very much sustainable.
LEICESTER still need to do a lot more under Russell Martin before they can be trusted against anyone, never mind a Peterborough team who have just appointed Foxes legend Robbie Savage; he could hardly have picked a better first league game to take charge of.
Anyone who backs this is taking one of the worst value bets of the weekend. OLDHAM - one of Saturday's standout favourites - have lost their last four, conceding 10 and scoring two. Accrington usually score a couple and their only defeat in six was at title-chasing Barnet.
Dodgy picks
Leeds are unrecognisable from the team thrashed 5-0 at ARSENAL in August last year. Since Daniel Farke's half-time Eureka moment against Manchester City in November, when he switched to a back three, Leeds have lost five of 30 league games (W10 D15 L5). They were hammered 4-0 again by the Gunners during that time but still, it isn't worth the risk.
It wouldn't shock me if STOCKPORT thumped Barnsley but the match-up is awkward. The visitors' high-press should cause problems for the expansive Hatters, who have struggled against teams willing to press and play through them, but swept aside more direct opposition. Barnsley have been the polar opposite, picked off by long-ball merchants but performing well against teams willing to play.
SOUTHAMPTON and Portsmouth meet in a fierce local derby at Sunday lunchtime. All of the last four league meetings have ended in draws. Enough said.
Best Last Man picks
WEST HAM will take some stopping in the Championship. They are six unbeaten but more strikingly have scored at least twice in each of their last six matches in all competitions, averaging 3.33 goals per game. QPR have started well but are now winless in four, though their last three have been drawn.
YORK returned to the EFL as National League champions with a haul of 108 points. They then shockingly replaced Stuart Maynard with Scott Lindsey on the eve of the season to raise doubts about their prospects; unfounded ones it turned out. The Minstermen have won all four home games, scoring 12 and conceding just three goals. Northampton have just one win and three goals after seven games.
It could be a long season for Crawley. Bottom of League Two on four points and with few signs of improvement they face CHESTERFIELD, who are streets clear of the entire division on underlying data and beginning to produce the results to match (three wins from four). The Spirerites' +1.07 xGD per game puts them more than a goal and half better than Crawley (-0.51 xGD per 90) - one of the biggest disparities on this weekend's coupon.
League One leaders PLYMOUTH were rope-a-doped (xG: PLY 2.52-0.99 BUR) 1-0 at home by Burton a fortnight ago, a blip across an eight-game spell in all competitions where they have scored 23 goals and W6 D1. Wimbledon have started well, but against a kind schedule and with very poor underlying data.
Can MANCHESTER UNITED be trusted? Probably. They're playing Spurs after all. It's hard to find an ounce of support for Robert De Zerbi's side other than the fact they aren't playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they have won just five of the last 37 league games. United, on the other hand, have been very consistent at home, winning nine of their 11 league matches at Old Trafford since Michael Carrick took over in January.
BRADFORD may have lost Graham Alexander to Preston but it was 'as you were' in drawing 1-1 away at impressive Reading last week. Michael Duff could be in the dugout against Leyton Orient. He'll hope to build on his predecessor's wonderful home record since the start of 24/25 (W34 D9 L6).
Odds correct at 12:30 BST (7/10/26)
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