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A key narrative of England's top flight this campaign concerns the decline of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way teams have been scoring increasingly from set-pieces as an alternative.

When we compare goal sources to matchday 11 last season, we see 39 fewer scored in open play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 less altogether.

Examining the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open play than this time last time out.

And despite the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show just two more attempts generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, showing the efficiency clubs are at finding ways to convert from dead-ball situations.

Scoring Rates Reveal the Tale

Over 300 goals recorded in 110 matches up to now works out at 2.74 scores per game, if maintained for all 38 games might be the smallest for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 scores scored in open-play translates to 1.78 per game and is heading to be the smallest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 average).

The 2009-10 season additionally represents the sole English top-flight campaign to see goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced the most significant drop, registering only four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than this point the previous campaign.

Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's fall in open play goals is largely a London thing, with half of the capital's seven sides recording at least five fewer goals from open-play than last season.

Honestly, this is primarily due to them scoring many scores at the beginning of the previous campaign as opposed to them really struggling to score in open play the current term.

Conversely City have recorded the biggest increase, with almost every one of their 23 goals so far arriving in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Comparing newly promoted sides with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three extra goals in open-play than Southampton managed in their opening 11 matches en route to demotion last season.

In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the reduction of five scores that they've produced in open-play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

United have netted two times more scores from set-pieces as they achieved in the first 11 matches last season prior to Ruben Amorim took charge, while Sunderland again are more effective at converting than the club they replaced they replaced.

Man City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, because they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, similar to the Reds, though this could be because of the altered approach they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six sides – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – are this term's leading trend-followers by recording fewer goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the only side to defy the pattern up to now by achieving the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to observe if clubs carry on to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their general attacking flair and commence scoring more goals in open play as well.