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A key narrative of the EPL season so far has been the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how teams are netting increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Comparing goal sources to matchday 11 last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open play and 26 more from set-plays and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less in total.

Considering overall statistics, shot attempts teams are taking reveal a staggering 370 fewer in open play than this time last season.

Even with the significant rise in set-play finishes, there have actually been a mere two extra attempts produced from them excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency clubs are at devising strategies to convert from set-pieces.

Scoring Rates Tell the Tale

The 301 goals recorded in 110 matches up to now calculates at 2.74 goals per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games might be the lowest for five years, back in 2020-21 (2.69).

Yet merely 196 scores scored in open play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the smallest for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

That campaign additionally represents the unique EPL season to witness scoring more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the most significant drop, registering a mere four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's drop in open play goals is largely a trend among London clubs, with half of the capital's seven sides netting a minimum of five less scores from open-play than last season.

To be fair, that's largely down to them scoring lots of goals at the start of last season rather than their genuine struggle to convert in open play this season.

Conversely Man City have recorded the largest rise, with nearly all of their 23 scores so far coming in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing the promoted teams with the teams that went down they replaced. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded three more goals in open-play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

In terms of goals scored from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have seen the largest rise, with both sides replacing the five fewer scores that they've scored in open play with the same number from set-pieces.

Manchester United have recorded double the number scores from set-pieces as they managed in the first 11 matches the previous campaign ahead of the manager assumed control, while the Black Cats once more have been better at netting than the similar-colored team they superseded.

Manchester City seem unaware of the memo about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've recorded three fewer than last season, as have Nottingham Forest, even if this may result from the altered approach they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – are the current campaign's leading trend-followers by recording fewer goals from open play and more from set-plays, while City represent the sole team to buck the trend so far by performing the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to observe if teams continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they regain their all-round creativity and start scoring additional scores in open-play as well.