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A key narrative of England's top flight this campaign concerns the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how teams are netting increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

Comparing goal sources to the initial 11 matches last season, there have been 39 fewer scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and penalties, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

If we look at the broader view, the number of shots clubs are making reveal a remarkable drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last season.

Regardless of the significant rise in set-piece goals, records show a mere two extra attempts generated from these situations excluding penalties, demonstrating the efficiency clubs have been at finding ways to net from set-pieces.

Goal Averages Show a Story

301 total goals recorded in 110 games up to now works out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, if this persists for the whole season would be the least for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

But just 196 goals scored in open-play averages out 1.78 per game and is heading to be the least for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76).

2009-10 is also the unique EPL season to see goals scored more frequently from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this season's rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 average).

What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced the largest decrease, registering only four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in open-play scoring is largely a trend among London clubs, with five out of the city's seven teams recording a minimum of five fewer goals from open play than the prior season.

In fairness, this is mainly because them scoring lots of scores at the early stages of the previous campaign rather than them having difficulty to score in open-play this season.

Meanwhile City have experienced the biggest increase, with almost every one of the 23 they've scored to date arriving in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

We've compared newly promoted sides with those that were relegated they took the place of. Sunderland Sunderland have scored three extra scores in open-play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches en route to relegation the previous campaign.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (excluding penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the most significant jump, with each team replacing the reduction of five goals that they've scored in open-play with the same number from dead-ball chances.

United have recorded twice as many goals from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games last season prior to the manager took over, while the Black Cats additionally prove more effective at scoring than the similar-colored team that went down.

Manchester City appear not to have received the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, since they've netted three less than last season, like Nottingham Forest, although that might be down to the altered approach they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six teams – Arsenal, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – represent this term's primary examples by scoring fewer goals from open-play and more from set-plays, while City represent the unique club to defy the pattern to date by achieving the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to watch if teams continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as the season goes on or if they find again their overall inventiveness and begin netting more goals in open-play also.