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One of the biggest stories of England's top flight this campaign concerns the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how sides are finding goals increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

Looking at scoring methods to the first 11 games the prior season, we see a drop of 39 goals in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 less overall.

Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots teams are taking reveal a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than this time previously.

And despite the significant rise in dead-ball scores, records show only two additional attempts generated from these situations excluding penalties, indicating how effective teams are at discovering methods to score from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Tell a Story

The 301 goals notched in 110 matches up to now averages out at 2.74 scores each match, which if it continued for the entire campaign could be the lowest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

But just 196 goals coming in open play equates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the smallest for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

That campaign additionally represents the sole English top-flight season to see scoring more often from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?

Regarding scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the largest decrease, scoring a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 less than this point last season.

Apart from Wolverhampton, the EPL's decline in open play goals is very much a London thing, with five of the London's seven clubs netting five or more fewer goals from open play than last season.

Honestly, this is mainly because them scoring numerous scores at the beginning of last season instead of their genuine struggle to convert in open-play the current term.

At the same time Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with all but one of their 23 goals to date coming in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Looking at clubs that came up with the teams that went down they replaced. Play-off winners Sunderland have scored three more goals in open-play than Southampton did in matchday 11 on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from set-plays (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the most significant jump, with each team replacing the five fewer goals that they've netted in open-play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

Man United have scored double the number goals from set-pieces as they did in matchday 11 the previous campaign prior to Ruben Amorim assumed control, while Sunderland additionally prove more effective at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

Man City don't seem to have got the trend about netting additional goals from set-pieces, because they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, similar to Forest, although this could be because of the altered approach they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six teams – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this season's top trend-setters by scoring fewer scores from open play and increased from set-pieces, while Man City stand as the unique club to go against the grain up to now by achieving the exact opposite.

It will be interesting to see if sides continue to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they find again their general attacking flair and begin scoring additional scores in open-play too.