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A key narrative of England's top flight this campaign concerns the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and how teams are netting more from dead-ball situations instead.

When we compare scoring methods to the first 11 games the prior season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 less altogether.

Examining the broader view, shot attempts clubs are making show an incredible 370 fewer in open play than this time last season.

And despite the significant rise in set-play finishes, there have actually been only two additional shots produced from them outside of spot-kicks, demonstrating the proficiency teams are at discovering methods to score from dead-ball chances.

Goal Averages Show an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals recorded in the first 110 fixtures to date works out at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, which if it continued for the whole season would be the lowest for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely under 200 goals scored in open play translates to 1.78 per game and is on course to be the smallest for 16 seasons, from 16 years ago (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season also marks the unique EPL campaign to witness goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than this season's rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Account for This Change?

When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolves have seen the most significant drop, registering only four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolves, the EPL's decline in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with five out of the London's seven clubs netting five or more fewer goals from open play than the prior season.

In fairness, this is mainly because their scoring many goals at the beginning of last season instead of them really struggling to convert in open play this campaign.

Conversely Man City have seen the largest rise, with almost every one of their 23 goals to date originating in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

We've compared clubs that came up with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off champions the Black Cats have recorded an additional three scores in open-play than Southampton achieved in matchday 11 on their way to demotion last season.

Regarding scoring from set-pieces (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have recorded the largest rise, with the two clubs compensating for the five fewer goals that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.

United have recorded double the number goals from set-pieces as they did in the first 11 matches last season before their coach took charge, while the Black Cats again are more successful at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

Man City don't seem to have got the message about scoring more from set-plays, as they've netted three less than last season, similar to Nottingham Forest, although that might be down to the altered approach they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent the current campaign's primary examples by netting less goals from open play and increased from set-plays, while City represent the only side to defy the pattern so far by achieving the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to see if sides persist to rely so heavily on set-pieces as matches continue or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and commence converting additional scores in open play also.