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A key narrative of England's top flight this campaign is the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams have been scoring more from set-pieces instead.

Looking at scoring methods to matchday 11 last season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and penalties, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

Considering overall statistics, shot attempts clubs are making reveal an incredible 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage last season.

Even with the notable jump in set-play finishes, there have actually been only two additional attempts generated from these situations excluding penalties, indicating the efficiency clubs are at devising strategies to score from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Tell a Story

301 total goals scored in 110 games so far averages out at 2.74 scores per fixture, if maintained for the whole season would be the lowest for since 2020-21, back in 2020-21 (2.69).

But just 196 goals scored in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is on course to be the lowest for since 2009-10, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

2009-10 additionally represents the sole English top-flight campaign to see goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolves have seen by far the biggest decline, netting only four in 11 games, 10 fewer than at this stage the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolves, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with five of the city's seven teams recording at least five fewer goals from open-play than the previous year.

To be fair, that's largely down to them netting many scores at the start of the previous campaign instead of their genuine struggle to score in open-play this campaign.

Conversely Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 goals so far coming in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Comparing clubs that came up with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off winners Sunderland have netted three more goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches on their way to relegation the previous campaign.

In terms of scoring from set-pieces (excluding penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have seen the biggest increase, with the two clubs compensating for the five fewer scores that they've produced in open play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.

United have recorded double the number goals from set-pieces as they managed in the 11 games last season ahead of the manager took charge, while Sunderland additionally are more effective at netting than the club they replaced they superseded.

Manchester City appear not to have received the memo about netting additional goals from set-pieces, as they've recorded a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like Forest, even if this could be because of the tactical shift they're working to install.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – represent this term's primary examples by recording fewer scores from open play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the sole team to buck the trend so far by performing the contrary.

It remains to be seen to see if teams persist to depend greatly on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they rediscover their general attacking flair and begin converting additional scores in open play as well.