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A major talking point of the EPL this campaign concerns the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way clubs are netting more from set-plays as an alternative.

Comparing goal sources to matchday 11 the prior season, we note a drop of 39 goals in open play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 less altogether.

Considering overall statistics, efforts on goal teams are taking reveal an incredible 370 fewer in open play than this time last season.

And despite the big increase in set-play finishes, records show just two more shots generated from them outside of penalties, showing how effective clubs have been at discovering methods to net from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Tell a Story

301 total goals notched in 110 matches to date averages out at 2.74 goals each match, which if it continued for the whole season would be the smallest for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69).

Yet merely 196 goals scored in open play equates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 is also the unique EPL campaign to witness goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant drop, scoring only four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolves, the Premier League's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with half of the capital's seven sides netting a minimum of five less scores from open-play than the previous year.

In fairness, this is mainly because them netting lots of scores at the start of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to score in open play this season.

Conversely Man City have recorded the largest rise, with almost every one of their 23 scores to date coming in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at clubs that came up with the teams that went down they took the place of. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded three extra scores in open-play than the Saints did in their first 11 games en route to the drop last season.

When it comes to goals scored from set-pieces (aside from penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the most significant jump, with both sides compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've produced in open play with the same number from set-pieces.

Manchester United have scored two times more scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches last season ahead of Ruben Amorim took over, while the Black Cats additionally have been more successful at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-pieces, because they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, as have Nottingham Forest, though this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.

General Tendencies

Six teams – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – represent this season's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open play and additional from set-pieces, while Manchester City are the only side to go against the grain so far by performing the contrary.

It will be fascinating to observe if clubs persist to place such emphasis on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and start scoring additional scores in open-play as well.