Alex Scott was nearly ever-present in Bournemouth's historic wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea last season, playing 625 of 630 minutes under Andoni Iraola. The 22-year-old, once a "scrawny-looking kid" at Bristol City, has drawn praise from Pep Guardiola ("unbelievable player") and Jack Grealish ("top, top talent") since his teens. A £25m move from the Championship demanded physical growth, and Scott delivered: ground duel success rose to 56% (from 47%), aerial success to 54% (from 44%), ranking above Elliot Anderson, Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi. He won possession more than all but two midfielders and ranked top-10 for interceptions.

Scott's attacking output matches his defensive grit. He made 431 carries (eighth-highest), half progressive, and the sixth-most supporting runs in the league. His winner at Arsenal showcased his scanning and burst. He also made the third-most high-speed runs, covering 27.6km at high intensity, and tracked back more than any player. Versatile across midfield and even wing-back, he has 89 Premier League appearances at 22.

The main gap remains end product: four goals and three assists in those 89 games. Jason Euell, his former coach, warned that without better numbers "someone else is going to sneak up behind you." Scott has fended off competition so far, but the next step is turning dominance into goals.