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A major talking point of the Premier League this campaign concerns the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams are netting increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

Comparing scoring methods to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and penalties, leading to 13 fewer in total.

Examining overall statistics, the number of shots sides are producing show a remarkable drop of 370 in open play than at this stage last season.

And despite the big increase in dead-ball scores, we've actually seen only two additional attempts created from these situations outside of spot-kicks, showing how effective teams are at finding ways to net from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Tell the Tale

Over 300 goals scored in 110 games up to now averages out at 2.74 goals per game, which if it continued for all 38 games would be the least for half a decade, since 2020-21 (2.69).

But just 196 goals coming in open-play translates to 1.78 each match and is heading to be the smallest for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76).

That campaign also marks the sole English top-flight campaign to witness goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to goals scored from open-play, Wolves have recorded the most significant decline, registering only four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Outside of Wolves, the EPL's decline in open play goals is very much a London thing, with five out of the city's seven teams netting at least five less scores from open-play than last season.

To be fair, this is primarily due to them scoring lots of scores at the beginning of last season as opposed to them really struggling to find the net in open play this campaign.

At the same time City have experienced the biggest increase, with all but one of their 23 scores so far coming in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing clubs that came up with the relegated sides that they superseded. Play-off winners the Black Cats have scored three more goals in open-play than Southampton managed in their first 11 games en route to relegation the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (aside from spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the largest rise, with both sides replacing the five less scores that they've produced in open play with the same number from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded two times more goals from set-pieces as they achieved in the first 11 matches the previous campaign before the manager took charge, while the Black Cats once more are more effective at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

City appear not to have received the memo about scoring more from set-plays, since they've netted three less than the previous campaign, like the Reds, though that might be down to the tactical shift they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – are this season's primary examples by recording fewer scores from open play and increased from set-plays, while Manchester City stand as the unique club to go against the grain so far by achieving the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to observe if clubs continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and start converting increased totals in open play as well.