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

Comparing how goals have been scored to the first 11 games the prior season, we note 39 fewer goals in open play and 26 more from set-plays and spot-kicks, giving us 13 fewer altogether.

Considering overall statistics, the number of shots teams are taking reveal a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the significant rise in set-play finishes, we've actually seen only two additional attempts created from these situations excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating how effective teams are at finding ways to net from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Tell a Story

301 total goals recorded in the first 110 fixtures so far calculates at 2.74 goals per game, which if it continued for the entire campaign would be the lowest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69).

Yet merely 196 scores scored in open-play equates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 also marks the sole English top-flight campaign to witness goals scored more frequently from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen by far the biggest decrease, registering a mere four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolverhampton, the EPL's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a London phenomenon, with five out of the capital's seven sides scoring five or more less scores from open-play than the prior season.

Honestly, that's largely down to them scoring numerous goals at the start of the previous campaign rather than them really struggling to score in open play this campaign.

Conversely City have recorded the most significant jump, with nearly all of their 23 goals to date coming in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

We've compared newly promoted sides with the teams that went down they replaced. Play-off winners the Black Cats have recorded three more scores in open-play than Southampton managed in their first 11 games leading to demotion last season.

Regarding goals scored from set-plays (excluding spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with each team replacing the five less scores that they've scored in open play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

Man United have recorded double the number goals from set-pieces as they managed in the 11 games last season ahead of their coach took charge, while the Black Cats once more prove more successful at netting than the club they replaced they superseded.

Man City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've scored a reduction of three than last season, like the Reds, even if this could be because of the change in style they have tried to implement.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – have been the current campaign's primary examples by netting less goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while City represent the sole team to go against the grain up to now by achieving the contrary.

It will be interesting to observe if sides continue to place such emphasis on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they regain their all-round creativity and begin converting additional scores in open-play as well.