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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League this campaign is the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way sides are finding goals more from set-pieces as an alternative.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches last season, we note 39 fewer goals in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and penalties, giving us 13 less in total.

Examining the broader view, efforts on goal sides are producing have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open play than at this stage previously.

Even with the big increase in set-play finishes, records show a mere two extra attempts created from them outside of penalties, indicating the proficiency teams are at devising strategies to convert from dead-ball situations.

Scoring Rates Tell the Tale

301 total goals scored in 110 games so far calculates at 2.74 goals per game, which if it continued for all 38 games might be the least for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely under 200 goals scored in open play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for 16 seasons, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

That campaign is also the unique EPL season to witness goals scored more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Are Most Responsible?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced by far the biggest decrease, netting only four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's decline in open play goals is predominantly a London thing, with five out of the capital's seven sides recording at least five goals fewer from open play than the previous year.

Honestly, this is mainly because them scoring lots of scores at the early stages of last season instead of them really struggling to find the net in open-play this campaign.

At the same time Manchester City have recorded the largest rise, with almost every one of the 23 they've scored so far coming in open play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared clubs that came up with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have recorded three more scores in open play than Southampton managed in their opening 11 matches on their way to demotion last season.

Regarding scoring from set-pieces (aside from penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have seen the most significant jump, with both sides making up for the five less scores that they've produced in open-play with the same number from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have scored double the number scores from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games last season prior to the manager took over, while Sunderland additionally are better at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the message about netting additional goals from set-pieces, as they've recorded three less than last season, similar to Forest, even if that might be down to the altered approach they have tried to implement.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this term's primary examples by recording fewer scores from open play and additional from set-plays, while Man City stand as the unique club to defy the pattern up to now by performing the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to see if sides persist to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their general attacking flair and begin netting more goals in open play too.