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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far has been the drop of scoring in open play and the way teams are finding goals more from set-plays instead.

Comparing goal sources to matchday 11 the prior season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer altogether.

Examining overall statistics, the number of shots teams are taking reveal a remarkable drop of 370 in open-play than this time last season.

And despite the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show just two more attempts produced from them outside of penalties, indicating how effective clubs are at devising strategies to convert from set-pieces.

Goal Averages Reveal an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals recorded in the first 110 fixtures to date averages out at 2.74 scores each match, if this persists for the entire campaign would be the lowest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69).

Yet merely 196 scores coming in open play translates to 1.78 per game and is heading to be the lowest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 also marks the only Premier League campaign to experience goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the most significant decline, registering a mere four in 11 matches, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Apart from Wolves, the EPL's decline in goals from open play is largely a trend among London clubs, with half of the London's seven clubs recording at least five fewer goals from open play than the prior season.

To be fair, this is primarily due to them scoring numerous scores at the early stages of the previous campaign as opposed to them having difficulty to find the net in open-play the current term.

At the same time City have experienced the most significant jump, with almost every one of their 23 scores so far arriving in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing clubs that came up with the teams that went down they took the place of. Sunderland the Black Cats have netted three more goals in open play than Southampton achieved in their first 11 games leading to relegation last season.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (aside from penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have experienced the biggest increase, with the two clubs compensating for the five fewer scores that they've scored in open play with the same number from dead-ball chances.

United have netted double the number goals from set-pieces as they did in the first 11 matches last season prior to their coach took charge, while the Black Cats again prove better at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

Manchester City appear not to have received the memo about scoring more from set-plays, as they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, like Forest, though this may result from the change in style they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and West Ham – represent this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open play and additional from set-plays, while Manchester City stand as the sole team to defy the pattern up to now by performing the contrary.

It will be fascinating to observe if teams carry on to rely so heavily on set-pieces as matches continue or if they find again their all-round creativity and begin scoring additional scores in open-play too.