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A key narrative of England's top flight season so far concerns the drop of goals scored in open play and how sides are netting increasingly from set-pieces instead.

When we compare goal sources to the initial 11 matches the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 goals in open-play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and penalties, giving us 13 less altogether.

Considering overall statistics, shot attempts clubs are making show a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than at this stage previously.

And despite the notable jump in dead-ball scores, we've actually seen only two additional shots created from these situations outside of penalties, demonstrating the efficiency clubs have been at finding ways to score from set-pieces.

Goal Averages Tell a Story

301 total goals scored in 110 games up to now calculates at 2.74 goals per game, if maintained for the entire campaign might be the smallest for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

But just 196 scores scored in open play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is heading to be the lowest for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

That campaign is also the unique EPL season to see scoring at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).

What Clubs Account for This Change?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolves have seen the largest decrease, scoring only four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's fall in open-play scoring is very much a trend among London clubs, with five of the London's seven clubs netting five or more fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.

To be fair, this is mainly because their scoring numerous goals at the start of the previous campaign rather than them having difficulty to find the net in open play the current term.

Conversely Manchester City have seen the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 goals so far originating in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing clubs that came up with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off winners the Black Cats have scored three extra scores in open-play than the Saints did in matchday 11 on their way to demotion the previous campaign.

Regarding scoring from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the largest rise, with each team compensating for the five fewer goals that they've netted in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have netted twice as many goals from set-plays as they managed in matchday 11 the previous campaign prior to their coach took over, while the Black Cats additionally are more successful at converting than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

Man City don't seem to have got the memo about scoring more from set-plays, since they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, as have Forest, even if this could be because of the change in style they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – represent this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Manchester City stand as the sole team to go against the grain up to now by doing the contrary.

It remains to be seen to see if clubs continue to rely so heavily on set-pieces as matches continue or if they find again their general attacking flair and commence netting more goals in open play also.