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A key narrative of the EPL this campaign is the drop of goals scored in open play and how teams are netting more from set-pieces instead.

When we compare how goals have been scored 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 penalties, resulting in 13 fewer overall.

If we look at the broader view, shot attempts sides are producing have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage previously.

And despite the notable jump in dead-ball scores, there have actually been only two additional shots generated from these situations outside of penalties, showing the proficiency clubs have been at discovering methods to score from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Reveal a Story

Over 300 goals recorded in 110 matches to date works out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, if this persists for all 38 games might be the lowest for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69 average).

However, only under 200 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is on course to be the least for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 average).

2009-10 additionally represents the only Premier League season to experience goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Are Most Responsible?

In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolves have seen the most significant decline, netting a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Outside of Wolves, England's top division's fall in goals from open play is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with half of the city's seven teams recording a minimum of five fewer goals from open-play than last season.

To be fair, this is mainly because them netting numerous goals at the start of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to find the net in open-play this season.

Conversely City have seen the most significant jump, with almost every one of their 23 scores so far originating in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Looking at the promoted teams with the relegated sides they took the place of. Play-off winners Sunderland have scored three extra goals in open play than Southampton managed in their first 11 games en route to demotion the previous campaign.

Regarding scoring from set-pieces (not counting spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with each team replacing the five fewer scores that they've produced in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

Manchester United have netted twice as many goals from set-pieces as they did in matchday 11 last season before Ruben Amorim took charge, while the Black Cats once more prove more effective at scoring than the club they replaced that went down.

City don't seem to have got the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, because they've recorded three fewer than last season, similar to the Reds, although this may result from the tactical shift they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six sides – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – represent this term's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open-play and more from set-pieces, while Man City stand as the only side to go against the grain to date by performing the contrary.

It will be fascinating to observe if clubs persist to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and begin converting increased totals in open-play as well.