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A key narrative of the EPL season so far concerns the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and how teams have been scoring more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Comparing goal sources to the first 11 games last season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 less in total.

If we look at the bigger picture, efforts on goal sides are producing have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the notable jump in set-play finishes, there have actually been just two more attempts generated from them excluding spot-kicks, indicating the proficiency sides have been at discovering methods to net from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Show the Tale

301 total goals recorded in 110 matches up to now works out at nearly 2.75 goals each match, which if it continued for the entire campaign would be the least for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

However, only under 200 goals scored in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

2009-10 also marks the only Premier League season to witness goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

Regarding goals scored from open play, Wolves have recorded by far the biggest decrease, registering only four in 11 matches, 10 less than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolves, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is largely a London phenomenon, with half of the city's seven teams recording at least five fewer goals from open play than the previous year.

To be fair, this is mainly because their scoring lots of scores at the beginning of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to score in open-play the current term.

Meanwhile Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with nearly all of the 23 they've scored this season originating in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing newly promoted sides with the relegated sides they took the place of. Play-off winners Sunderland have recorded an additional three goals in open play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games en route to relegation the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (aside from penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have recorded the most significant jump, with each team making up for the five fewer scores that they've netted in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have netted two times more goals from set-pieces as they did in the 11 games last season ahead of the manager assumed control, while Sunderland additionally are more successful at netting than the club they replaced they replaced.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the message about netting additional goals from set-pieces, since they've netted three fewer than last season, similar to Forest, though this may result from the tactical shift they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six teams – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – represent this term's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open play and increased from set-pieces, while City are the only side to defy the pattern so far by performing the contrary.

It will be fascinating to watch if teams continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they regain their general attacking flair and start converting additional scores in open play also.