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A major talking point of the Premier League season so far has been the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams are finding goals increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the first 11 games the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 goals in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

If we look at the broader view, efforts on goal clubs are making reveal a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than this time last time out.

Regardless of the significant rise in dead-ball scores, there have actually been a mere two extra attempts created from these situations excluding penalties, demonstrating the proficiency teams have been at devising strategies to net from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Show the Tale

Over 300 goals notched in 110 matches to date works out at 2.74 scores each match, which if it continued for the entire campaign could be the least for since 2020-21, from five seasons ago (2.69 average).

Yet merely 196 scores coming in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for 16 seasons, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

That campaign additionally represents the sole English top-flight season to experience scoring at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the largest drop, scoring only four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolves, England's top division's decline in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with five of the city's seven teams recording five or more goals fewer from open play than the prior season.

Honestly, that's largely down to them netting lots of goals at the beginning of last season rather than them really struggling to find the net in open-play this campaign.

At the same time Manchester City have seen the most significant jump, with nearly all of the 23 they've scored so far arriving in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing the promoted teams with the teams that went down that they superseded. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded three more goals in open play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games en route to demotion last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-plays (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the most significant jump, with both sides making up for the reduction of five goals that they've scored in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have netted double the number goals from set-pieces as they did in the 11 games last season before their coach assumed control, while the Black Cats once more are more effective at converting than the club they replaced that went down.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the message about netting additional goals from set-plays, since they've netted three less than the previous campaign, like Forest, even if this could be because of the altered approach they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – represent this season's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer scores from open-play and additional from set-plays, while City are the sole team to go against the grain to date by doing the exact opposite.

It will be fascinating to see if clubs carry on to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their general attacking flair and begin converting more goals in open play too.