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One of the biggest stories of England's top flight this campaign concerns the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and how clubs are finding goals increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

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 set-plays and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

Examining the broader view, shot attempts clubs are making show a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than this time last season.

And despite the big increase in set-piece goals, we've actually seen a mere two extra shots generated from them outside of penalties, demonstrating the proficiency sides are at devising strategies to convert from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Show an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals recorded in 110 matches to date calculates at nearly 2.75 goals per game, if maintained for the whole season could be the least for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely 196 goals scored in open play translates to 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the lowest for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76).

The 2009-10 season additionally represents the unique EPL campaign to experience goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79).

What Clubs Account for This Change?

When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolves have seen by far the biggest drop, registering just four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Apart from Wolves, the EPL's decline in goals from open play is very much a London thing, with five of the capital's seven sides netting five or more goals fewer from open play than the prior season.

Honestly, that's largely down to their scoring numerous scores at the start of last season as opposed to them having difficulty to find the net in open-play the current term.

At the same time Man City have recorded the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 goals to date originating in open play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared newly promoted sides with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off champions Sunderland have recorded an additional three scores in open-play than the Saints did in their first 11 games on their way to relegation the previous campaign.

Regarding goals scored from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the most significant jump, with each team compensating for the five fewer scores that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have scored double the number goals from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games the previous campaign prior to the manager assumed control, while the Black Cats additionally prove more successful at netting than the similar-colored team that went down.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the trend about scoring more from set-plays, as they've recorded three fewer than the previous campaign, like Nottingham Forest, although this could be because of the change in style they have tried to implement.

League-Wide Trends

Six sides – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – have been this season's top trend-setters by scoring fewer scores from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the unique club to buck the trend so far by performing the contrary.

It will be interesting to see if teams persist to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and begin converting increased totals in open-play too.