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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far concerns the decline of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how clubs have been scoring more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches last season, there have been a drop of 39 goals in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and penalties, leading to 13 fewer in total.

Examining the broader view, shot attempts clubs are making show an incredible 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the notable jump in set-play finishes, records show just two more attempts created from them excluding spot-kicks, showing the proficiency clubs are at devising strategies to convert from dead-ball chances.

Goal Averages Tell an Interesting Narrative

301 total goals recorded in 110 matches up to now averages out at 2.74 goals each match, if this persists for the entire campaign would be the least for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

Yet merely 196 scores coming in open play translates to 1.78 per fixture and is on course to be the lowest 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 set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded by far the biggest drop, netting only four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolverhampton, the Premier League's fall in goals from open play is predominantly a London thing, with half of the city's seven teams netting at least five fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.

To be fair, this is mainly because their scoring numerous goals at the early stages of last season as opposed to them having difficulty to convert in open-play the current term.

Conversely Man City have seen the most significant jump, with all but one of the 23 they've scored to date arriving in open play.

Set-Piece Success

We've compared the promoted teams with the relegated sides they took the place of. Sunderland Sunderland have scored three extra scores in open play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games en route to the drop last season.

Regarding goals scored from dead-ball situations (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the largest rise, with the two clubs compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've netted in open play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.

United have scored twice as many goals from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games last season before Ruben Amorim took over, while Sunderland again prove more successful at converting than the similar-colored team they replaced.

City seem unaware of the message about scoring more from set-plays, because they've netted three less than last season, similar to Nottingham Forest, even if this may result from the change in style they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six teams – Arsenal, the Blues, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – have been this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open play and additional from set-plays, while Manchester City are the unique club to defy the pattern up to now by doing the complete reverse.

It will be fascinating to watch if clubs carry on to rely so heavily on set-plays as the season goes on or if they regain their all-round creativity and start netting additional scores in open play too.