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One of the biggest stories of the EPL this campaign is the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how teams are finding goals more from set-plays instead.

Comparing how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we note 39 fewer goals in open play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 less altogether.

Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making reveal an incredible 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage last season.

Regardless of the significant rise in dead-ball scores, there have actually been just two more attempts generated from them excluding spot-kicks, indicating how effective teams are at finding ways to convert from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Show an Interesting Narrative

301 total goals scored in 110 games so far averages out at 2.74 scores per game, if this persists for all 38 games might be the smallest for five years, back in 2020-21 (2.69).

But just under 200 goals scored in open play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

That campaign additionally represents the only Premier League campaign to experience scoring more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolves have experienced by far the biggest decline, registering a mere four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's drop in goals from open play is predominantly a London thing, with five of the city's seven teams scoring at least five goals fewer from open play than last season.

Honestly, that's largely down to them netting lots of goals at the early stages of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to find the net in open play the current term.

Conversely Manchester City have recorded the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 scores to date arriving in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared clubs that came up with those that were relegated that they superseded. Sunderland the Black Cats have recorded three extra goals in open play than Southampton achieved in matchday 11 on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

Regarding goals scored from set-plays (not counting penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five less scores that they've netted in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have netted two times more scores from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games last season ahead of their coach took charge, while Sunderland again are better at scoring than the club they replaced they replaced.

Man City don't seem to have got the message about scoring more from set-plays, since they've recorded a reduction of three than last season, as have the Reds, even if that might be down to the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

General Tendencies

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – are this season's primary examples by scoring fewer scores from open play and more from set-pieces, while Man City stand as the only side to defy the pattern to date by achieving the exact opposite.

It will be fascinating to observe if teams carry on to depend greatly on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their general attacking flair and commence converting increased totals in open-play too.