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A key narrative of the EPL season so far concerns the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and how clubs are netting increasingly from set-pieces instead.

When we compare scoring methods to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less overall.

Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making have seen a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage previously.

And despite the big increase in dead-ball scores, there have actually been a mere two extra shots generated from these situations outside of penalties, showing the proficiency clubs are at devising strategies to score from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Show a Story

The 301 goals scored in the first 110 fixtures to date works out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, which if it continued for the entire campaign might be the lowest for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 goals coming in open-play translates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

That campaign also marks the only Premier League campaign to witness goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79).

What Clubs Account for This Change?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced by far the biggest decline, registering just four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 less than this point last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a London thing, with five of the capital's seven sides scoring at least five less scores from open-play than the previous year.

In fairness, this is primarily due to their scoring many scores at the start of last season instead of them really struggling to convert in open play the current term.

Conversely Manchester City have experienced the most significant jump, with almost every one of their 23 scores to date arriving in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing newly promoted sides with the teams that went down they took the place of. Sunderland Sunderland have netted three more goals in open play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches leading to demotion the previous campaign.

Regarding goals scored from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with both sides compensating for the five fewer scores that they've netted in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded double the number scores from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games the previous campaign ahead of Ruben Amorim assumed control, while the Black Cats once more have been better at converting than the similar-colored team they replaced.

City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-pieces, as they've recorded three fewer than the previous campaign, as have the Reds, even if that might be down to the tactical shift they've attempted to adopt.

Overall Patterns

Six clubs – Arsenal, the Blues, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – are this season's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open-play and more from set-pieces, while Manchester City represent the unique club to go against the grain so far by doing the exact opposite.

It will be interesting to watch if teams carry on to depend greatly on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their all-round creativity and commence netting increased totals in open play also.