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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far is the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way teams are finding goals increasingly from set-pieces as an alternative.

When we compare how goals have been scored to matchday 11 last season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 fewer overall.

Considering the bigger picture, efforts on goal clubs are making have seen a remarkable drop of 370 in open-play than this time previously.

And despite the big increase in set-piece goals, there have actually been a mere two extra shots generated from them outside of penalties, showing the proficiency clubs are at finding ways to net from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Reveal an Interesting Narrative

301 total goals scored in 110 games up to now averages out at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, if this persists for the entire campaign might be the lowest for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

However, only 196 goals coming in open play translates to 1.78 per fixture and is heading to be the least for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 is also the unique EPL season to see scoring more frequently from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

Regarding goals scored from open play, Wolves have recorded by far the biggest drop, scoring a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolverhampton, the Premier League's drop in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with five out of the London's seven clubs scoring five or more goals fewer from open-play than the prior season.

In fairness, this is primarily due to them netting lots of scores at the early stages of last season instead of their genuine struggle to score in open play the current term.

Conversely Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 scores this season arriving in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at the promoted teams with the relegated sides they replaced. Play-off champions the Black Cats have recorded three more scores in open-play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches en route to relegation last season.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with the two clubs compensating for the five less goals that they've netted in open-play with the same number from set-pieces.

Man United have recorded two times more scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches the previous campaign prior to Ruben Amorim took over, while Sunderland again have been more effective at scoring than the similar-colored team that went down.

City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, similar to Nottingham Forest, although that might be down to the tactical shift they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six teams – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – are the current campaign's primary examples by netting less scores from open-play and more from set-plays, while City are the only side to defy the pattern to date by performing the contrary.

It will be fascinating to observe if sides carry on to depend greatly on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their general attacking flair and commence scoring additional scores in open play also.