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A major talking point of the EPL this campaign concerns the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way clubs have been scoring increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

Looking at scoring methods to matchday 11 last season, there have been 39 fewer scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots sides are producing show a remarkable drop of 370 in open play than this time last season.

Even with the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show only two additional shots generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, indicating the efficiency teams are at discovering methods to convert from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Show a Story

Over 300 goals recorded in 110 games so far calculates at 2.74 goals each match, which if it continued for all 38 games could be the lowest for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 scores coming in open play equates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the least for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season also marks the unique EPL season to see goals scored more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 average).

What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?

Regarding goals scored from open play, Wolves have seen the largest decrease, registering only four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Apart from Wolves, England's top division's decline in open play goals is very much a London phenomenon, with five out of the capital's seven sides scoring a minimum of five less scores from open-play than last season.

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

Meanwhile Manchester City have recorded the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 goals to date coming in open play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared the promoted teams with the relegated sides they replaced. Play-off winners the Black Cats have netted an additional three goals in open play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches on their way to relegation the previous campaign.

Regarding scoring from set-pieces (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five less goals that they've scored in open play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

United have netted double the number goals from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 last season ahead of the manager assumed control, while the Black Cats again have been more successful at netting than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

City don't seem to have got the trend about netting additional goals from set-plays, since they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like the Reds, although this could be because of the change in style they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – represent this season's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open play and more from set-plays, while City stand as the unique club to defy the pattern to date by performing the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to watch if teams persist to depend greatly on set-plays as the season goes on or if they find again their general attacking flair and start converting additional scores in open-play also.