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One of the biggest stories of England's top flight this campaign concerns the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way clubs are netting increasingly from set-pieces instead.

When we compare how goals have been scored to matchday 11 the prior season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 fewer altogether.

Examining the broader view, the number of shots clubs are making have seen a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than this time previously.

Regardless of the significant rise in set-piece goals, there have actually been only two additional shots generated from them excluding spot-kicks, indicating the efficiency teams are at devising strategies to net from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Tell the Tale

The 301 goals recorded in 110 matches to date averages out at 2.74 scores each match, if this persists for the entire campaign would be the least for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 average).

But just under 200 goals scored in open-play equates to 1.78 per game and is on course to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season also marks the unique EPL campaign to experience scoring more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 average).

Which Sides Are Most Responsible?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced by far the biggest drop, netting a mere four in 11 matches, 10 less than at this stage the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolverhampton, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is largely a London phenomenon, with five of the capital's seven sides netting at least five fewer goals from open play than last season.

To be fair, this is primarily due to them scoring lots of scores at the start of last season as opposed to them having difficulty to score in open play this campaign.

At the same time Manchester City have experienced the biggest increase, with almost every one of their 23 scores to date coming in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

We've compared the promoted teams with those that were relegated they replaced. Sunderland the Black Cats have scored an additional three goals in open play than Southampton did in matchday 11 on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (not counting spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five less scores that they've produced in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

United have netted double the number scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches the previous campaign before the manager took over, while the Black Cats once more have been more effective at scoring than the club they replaced that went down.

Manchester City seem unaware of the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, since they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, similar to the Reds, even if this may result from the change in style they have tried to implement.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this term's top trend-setters by netting less goals from open play and additional from set-pieces, while City are the sole team to buck the trend so far by doing the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to watch if clubs continue to place such emphasis on set-pieces as matches continue or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and start converting additional scores in open-play also.