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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League this campaign has been the decline of scoring in open-play scenarios and how sides are netting more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Looking at how goals have been scored to the first 11 games last season, we see a drop of 39 goals in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 fewer in total.

Examining the broader view, the number of shots clubs are making reveal a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last season.

And despite the big increase in set-piece goals, there have actually been just two more shots created from them excluding penalties, showing the proficiency teams are at discovering methods to score from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Reveal an Interesting Narrative

301 total goals scored in 110 games to date works out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, which if it continued for all 38 games would be the least for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 average).

But just under 200 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the least for 16 seasons, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

The 2009-10 season also marks the unique EPL season to see scoring at a higher rate from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced by far the biggest drop, scoring a mere four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than this point the previous campaign.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the EPL's drop in open-play scoring is predominantly a London phenomenon, with half of the London's seven clubs recording at least five fewer goals from open play than the previous year.

In fairness, this is primarily due to their scoring lots of scores at the start of last season as opposed to them having difficulty to find the net in open play this campaign.

Meanwhile Man City have experienced the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 goals so far arriving in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing the promoted teams with the relegated sides they took the place of. Play-off champions Sunderland have netted three more scores in open play than Southampton did in their opening 11 matches en route to demotion last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have recorded the most significant jump, with the two clubs compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.

Manchester United have recorded two times more scores from set-plays as they achieved in matchday 11 the previous campaign before the manager took over, while Sunderland again are better at scoring than the club they replaced that went down.

Manchester City seem unaware of the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've netted three fewer than last season, as have Forest, though this may result from the tactical shift they've attempted to adopt.

General Tendencies

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – have been the current campaign's primary examples by scoring fewer goals from open play and increased from set-pieces, while Man City stand as the only side to defy the pattern up to now by doing the contrary.

It will be interesting to observe if teams continue to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and commence converting more goals in open-play also.