Everything Everywhere All at Once

It is so, so good to be back.

If you are new, Monday Night SCOUTED is a weekly newsletter in which I export the thoughts rattling around inside my brain, usually influenced by the televised matches I have watched at the weekend - anything from the midfield Archetypes I saw tearing it up, to why Antony Elanga reminds me of a pro boxer. And every edition ends with a SCOUTED Stats round-up, wherein I scour databases for the breakout stories and players you should be following.

JAKE, DATA SCOUT

Jake Entwistle is a data scout, analyst, and writer for SCOUTED. He is also the architect of Archetypes, a project to quantify the player profiles defining the new football meta. This is Monday Night SCOUTED, his weekly newsletter of data-led narratives from the weekend’s action. He does not use contractions, but his editor doesn’t does not mind.

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100 Eaters

I am not musically inclined enough to take that title beyond a pun into an actual metaphor. But in a week where for some reason that one particular line from Sprinter - Central Cee and Dave - has been repeating in my mind, Eaters have made an impact on the pitch.

I have no idea what it actually means in the song, but I’m talking about Ground Eaters: the grass-gobbling, box-to-box midfield Archetype that can do Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.

In midweek, Pape Matar Sarr personified this profile against PSG. I don’t think it’s any coincidence Spurs surrendered all control once he and Mohammed Kudus were replaced.

On Saturday, he did it again. The Senegalese dynamo - that I compared to Declan Rice and Federico Valverde last season - was the only U-23 player to complete 3+ Take-Ons, complete 3+ Passes into the Final Third, make 3+ Carries into the Final Third and make 3+ Clearances in a Big Five League game this weekend. Thanks to Opta Vision’s dissemination of basic tracking data, we now also have access to a few physical metrics via FotMob and Sofascore. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Sarr covered more distance than any other Spurs player against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Now, you should very much use this Physical data with caution. But if there is one Archetype and player profile that it does help evaluate then it is the Ground Eaters. Covering ground is at the very core of the profile.

Another player that did just that was Elliot Anderson. In fact, only two midfielders under the age of 23 had at least 15 Touches in the Defensive Third, the Middle Third and the Attacking Third during a match across Europe’s Big Five Leagues this weekend: Elliot Anderson and Pape Matar Sarr.

Anderson’s display against Brentford was one of the standout performances of the weekend. It was characterised by the blend of dynamism, tenacity and technique that has become synonymous with his game and was evident during England’s Under-21 European Championship triumph this summer. From spinning out of pressure deep in his own half to breaking lines in the final third and even taking set-pieces, he really was Everywhere, doing Everything, All at Once.

When compared to all other U-23 outfield players across GW1 of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Anderson completed more Passes into the Final Third (14) and also racked up the most Progressive Passing Distance (293 yards). Meanwhile, only teenage centre-backs Leny Yoro and Josh Acheampong - who both logged very impressive displays - covered more Progressive Carrying Distance than Anderson.

But the most incredible datapoint from his display was the award of three Goal-Creating Actions. Unlike an assist, Stathead award a Goal-Creating Action for the two offensive actions that directly lead to a goal. Anderson was awarded one for his corner into the box that lead to Chris Wood’s opener, another for the line-breaking pass to Morgan Gibbs-White who subsequently crossed to Dan Ndoye, and the third for his tackle-cum-pass that set Wood on his path to round the keeper and slot in his second. In the entirety of the 2024/25 Premier League season, there were only nine examples of an U23 player recording 3+ GCA in a single match. Anderson has done it in the opening game of the 2025/26 season. A senior international call-up is imminent.

To round off, I cannot mention Ground Eaters without highlighting Tijjani Reijnders. Last season, he appeared in the SCOUTED Squad search for this profile and now he's showing why it will feast in the 2025/26 meta.

Jon Mackenzie used the Passing Networks shared by Squawka to highlight Pep Guardiola’s awareness of this shift and his eagerness to adapt to it.

Reijnders’ display proved he has all of the attributes to not just help Man City adapt, but flourish in a more transitional, end-to-end game state. He finished the game with a goal and an assist, of course, but also recorded more Progressive Carries than any other City player.

Many FPL players had Reijnders, Anderson and maybe even Sarr in their squad at some point ahead of GW1 because of the new points system that rewards defensive output. But their role as Ground Eaters in an increasingly box-to-box meta also makes them genuine threats for attacking returns. Keep a close eye on this Archetype in FPL and beyond. Quelle surprise... Llew has already spotted another.

21-year-old Habib Diarra was one of eight players aged 23 or under that started for Sunderland in their 3-0 Premier League return win against West Ham. Only Strasbourg gave at least 45 minutes to more players in that age bracket across Europe's Big Five Leagues this weekend.

There are only seven games in Premier League history in which a team has given 45+ minutes to more U-23 players in a single game. Ha'way the Lads.

Switch-hitting and Spin Bowling

Suggesting there is value for football analysts to find in other sports is not an original concept. But I have recently spotted some nice cross-over opportunities that help articulate discussions about particular player traits.

Before I get into them, this quote from Arsène Wenger in 2014 explains why what might seem small and insignificant is in fact quite the opposite. When talking about Robert Pires, my all-time favourite player, Wenger said this:

"What's important is finding a position that suits perfectly a player's qualities, a position where he can express his technical qualities and a position where you do not expose his flaws.

“The little details are very, very important, like preferential vision. Some players see more on the right and some see more on the left. If you see a player who passes to the right all the time because of that, then you put them on the left.

"Robert Pires is a good example. He has unbelievable preferential vision, so on the right he is a normal player but on the left he became a world-class player. On the left wing he saw everything, but on the right wing he saw nothing."

Wenger speaks here about platforming players’ strengths and this can also be applied to the idiosyncrasies of their technique and even body mechanics. The first of which I want to discuss is shooting technique as bowling actions in cricket.

If you are not a fan of cricket, don’t worry. The main piece of information is that bowlers are often described by the type of ball they deliver. Whether this is the speed they bowl - right-arm fast - or the style - left-arm off-spin - there are also endless variations of delivery for each action. The point is that no bowling action is objectively the best, as they all suit different conditions: the weather, the state of the pitch, the wear on the ball and even the batter facing the delivery.

Now, you may be thinking that the variety of different shots available to a batter is best applied to a footballer taking a shot - after all, they share the same name. You’re kind of right. But only when discussing exactly that: the type of shot.

However, from a scouting perspective, it’s important to consider each player’s natural shooting action. I believe certain techniques and ball-striking in general can be give players advantages in certain situations - just as a dry, cracking pitch is a spin bowler’s dream - as well as being detrimental if not platformed properly - like bowling that same spinner on a flat, grass-covered wicket.

Arsenal shared this training video ahead of the match against Manchester United on Sunday which serves as an introduction to my point.

As a Power Forward, Viktor Gyökeres is definitely a ‘right-foot fast’ shooter. But the variation he uses for the first strike is the football equivalent of cricket’s wobble-seam delivery. Bowlers use this to make the ball ‘wobble’ in the air and then deviate from the expected bounce off the pitch. Gyökeres’ strike has a straight-line trajectory which generates speed but also produces dip and lateral movement. Even if fired straight at a goalkeeper, this action can lead to a goal. Perhaps you could say the knuckle ball is football’s wobble seam.

Declan Rice, one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the Premier League, is extremely orthodox. If Gyökeres is Stuart Broad, Rice is Sir Jimmy Anderson. In the above clip, he produces a clean strike through the laces that does not deviate from its path at all. But his mastery of ball-striking means he can also deliver swinging set-piece deliveries into the box or whip the ball into the corners from outside the area. Every technique is textbook perfect, delivered with extreme accuracy and power.

Bukayo Saka is perhaps the most fascinating. In May 2020, I wrote this in Volume VI of the Handbook:

“Saka’s uncanny ability to generate lift when moving at speed seems to be aided by his striking technique [his bowling action]. Connecting with the ball near his big toe joint applies more spin to each strike while facilitating the ability to dig out chipped passes from the left by-line. When producing more force, his shots and crosses follow a trajectory which steers the ball away from opponents and into the path of onrushing team-mates.”

Now, this was written when Saka was used on the left, but it does discuss the value of his natural bowling action when applied to those angles. Saka is a spinner. That big toe mechanic I mentioned does not just generate curl/swing like Rice, it generates a harsher movement. The ball rips off this part of Saka’s foot.

This unorthodox style is also part of the reason why he looks ‘awkward’ at times. But awkward does not mean bad - it is simply his natural action and it has incredible benefits. On the left, it means his crosses move further away from the ‘keeper without sacrificing power. On the right, he can set the ball much further outside the far post for both back-post crosses and long-range efforts.

To avoid rambling on too much, this is important because the natural shooting action of a player is difficult to change. Yes, you can make tweaks to optimise, but it will be extremely difficult to reset. Instead, when watching a player that might not have flawless textbook technique like Declan Rice, try to work out if there is an angle that accommodates their idiosyncratic style or, better yet, one augmented by it. Like Wenger, the best scouts and coaches will be able to spot these idiosyncracies and platform them. Never hide what makes you unique.

The next cross-sport comparison comes from boxing - or, more generally, combat sports. I am definitely not a boxing expert, but I know that there are two fundamental stances: Orthodox and Southpaw. Again, to be fully self-aware, this is essentially right and left-handedness, but I think there is a greater nuance that does not have to depend on which hand, or foot, is preferred. For instance, boxers will often change stance mid-fight to present a new problem for their opponent to solve. Footballers can do the same. Just ask Anthony Elanga.

I will admit, I never quite realised just how two-footed Elanga is. So please forgive me if this was common knowledge - Ninad Barbadikar linked a piece which highlighted his two-footed shooting that suggests it should be. However, two-footed shooting and pure ambidexterity are two different things.

What struck me when watching Elanga this weekend was how natural he looked in each stance. At Forest last season, I felt as if he behaved most often as an orthodox on the right and an inverted (southpaw) winger on the left - just as you would expect for most right-footers. However, I did not realise that he steered with his inside foot no matter which flank he was one.

One of the reasons inverted wingers became so popular is because it puts you in a position to drive with and onto your strong foot while looking at the entire pitch. You can ‘steer’ with your strong foot without reducing your angles. Think back to that Pires example.

So, the reason why I was so taken aback by Elanga is because he ensures he sees everything on the right and the left. Unfortunately, I could not get screenshots from this weekend’s game, but there are hundreds of examples from last season. Here, Elanga is steering with his left foot on the right wing. This is the inverted/southpaw stance for a right-winger.

Despite the inverted stance, he is still able to attack down the line, which he does, or cut inside. Remember, this stance opens up all avenues.

In the next example, he is once again steering with his inside foot - we can’t use the word ‘strong’ for Elanga - but this time on the opposite flank. Once again, all options are available.

Once again, he opts to attack the outside.

These examples illustrate Elanga’s natural ability to both steer and strike with his left foot. This is what makes him a genuinely ambipedal footballer. That’s why the quickest way to spot them is by looking at their fighting stance. Elanga can jab and haymake with both feet. I was not familiar with his game.

Starred Boys

No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to watch every single game and every single player within a week. Life gets in the way, as it should. To combat that, I personally star a lot of players on Sofascore to keep tabs on the prospects that have jumped out for one reason or another. So I thought Starred Boys would be a a good addition to the MNS newsletter.

Each week I will spotlight a player that sent a flurry of notifications to my phone over the weekend.

In Getafe's LaLiga opener against Celta Vigo, the 2003-born, 1.9m tall, two-footed, versatile Nigerian forward got booked, provided an assist and then scored. This sums him up perfectly.

When scrolling through my Uche notifications, I always expect to see a yellow card. Whether it's the Bordalás Effect or Uche's own approach to the game, this guy wins plenty of fouls and makes plenty more. This weekend, he committed more fouls than any other U-23 player across Europe's Big Five Leagues.

However, he was the only U-23 player to accumulate 1+ Expected Goals thanks to an open-goal effort worth 0.95 - which he created himself by rounding the goalkeeper to create an open net. Meanwhile, his 0.39 Expected Assisted Goals meant that he also led the way for NPxG + xAG with 1.4 ahead of Elliot Anderson and Lamine Yamal. Elite company.

For the assist, he demonstrated his ability to run the channels which is augmented by the huge frame I alluded to. Two Getafe players have the opportunity to latch onto this pass, Uche takes control, shrugs off the defender and cuts it back for the opener.

We love a stiff arm at SCOUTED and Uche might have one of the stiffest of them all. For his goal, he hounds two retreating Celta defenders, bulldozes through them to emerge with the ball. He subsequently throws one to the floor before dancing around the goalkeeper. That two-footedness is evident here as he nonchalantly switches it onto his left with breaking stride to tuck home.

In this one game, Uche contested 17 Duels in total, five of which were the fouls he committed. He won 3/4 Aerials and completed 3/8 Take-Ons. He is a bulldozer with balletic qualities, one of my all-time favourite combos. It will not be long until a Premier League club comes calling.

SCOUTED Stats

Get your notepads out, SCOUTED Stats is back. This has proven to be one of the best ways to get ahead of the mainstream for breakout talents. So, this season, I am opening the floor to every single league with Advanced Data on Stathead. Those are:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League, Championship
• 🇪🇸 LaLiga
• 🇮🇹 Serie A, Serie B
• 🇩🇪 Bundesliga
• 🇫🇷 Ligue 1
• 🇳🇱 Eredivisie
• 🇵🇹 Primeira Liga
• 🇧🇪 Pro League
• 🇺🇸 MLS
• 🇧🇷 Brasileirão
• 🇦🇷 Liga Profesional
• 🇲🇽 Liga MX

However, in order to distinguish between young players breaking out at the highest level, I will still highlight the Big Five League leaders. Feel free to let me know if there is simply too much info.