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One of the biggest stories of England's top flight season so far concerns the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams are netting more from dead-ball situations instead.

Comparing goal sources to the initial 11 matches the prior season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open-play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less in total.

Examining overall statistics, efforts on goal teams are taking show a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than this time last time out.

Even with the big increase in set-piece goals, records show only two additional attempts created from these situations outside of spot-kicks, showing how effective clubs have been at finding ways to net from dead-ball situations.

Scoring Rates Reveal the Tale

Over 300 goals notched in the first 110 fixtures so far works out at nearly 2.75 goals each match, if this persists for the entire campaign would be the smallest for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely 196 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is on course to be the least for 16 seasons, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 also marks the unique EPL season to experience goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced the largest decline, netting a mere four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than this point last season.

Outside of Wolverhampton, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is predominantly a London phenomenon, with five of the capital's seven sides recording at least five fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.

In fairness, that's largely down to them scoring lots of goals at the early stages of last season as opposed to their genuine struggle to find the net in open-play this season.

At the same time Man City have experienced the largest rise, with nearly all of their 23 goals this season originating in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Looking at the promoted teams with the teams that went down they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have netted an additional three scores in open play than Southampton achieved in their opening 11 matches on their way to relegation the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the biggest increase, with both sides compensating for the five less scores that they've produced in open play with the same number from dead-ball chances.

Man United have recorded twice as many goals from set-pieces as they achieved in the 11 games last season prior to their coach took charge, while Sunderland additionally have been more effective at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

Man City seem unaware of the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've scored three less than last season, similar to Nottingham Forest, although this could be because of the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – are the current campaign's top trend-setters by recording fewer scores from open-play and additional from set-plays, while Man City are the sole team to go against the grain to date by doing the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to observe if clubs carry on to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they find again their all-round creativity and commence converting more goals in open-play also.