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One of the biggest stories of the EPL this campaign concerns the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way sides are finding goals increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

When we compare scoring methods to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer in total.

If we look at the bigger picture, shot attempts teams are taking reveal a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than this time last time out.

And despite the notable jump in dead-ball scores, we've actually seen only two additional attempts generated from them excluding spot-kicks, showing the proficiency teams are at devising strategies to convert from dead-ball chances.

Goal Averages Show an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals recorded in 110 matches so far calculates at 2.74 goals each match, if this persists for the whole season might be the smallest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

Yet merely 196 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is heading to be the lowest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 is also the unique EPL season to witness goals scored more frequently from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

When it comes to goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the most significant decline, netting only four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's drop in open-play scoring is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with half of the London's seven clubs recording a minimum of five fewer goals from open play than last season.

Honestly, this is mainly because them netting numerous goals at the beginning of last season instead of them having difficulty to score in open-play the current term.

Meanwhile Manchester City have experienced the largest rise, with nearly all of the 23 they've scored so far originating in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at clubs that came up with the teams that went down that they superseded. Play-off winners the Black Cats have scored three extra goals in open play than Southampton did in their opening 11 matches en route to relegation last season.

When it comes to scoring from set-plays (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with each team making up for the five fewer scores that they've netted in open play with the same number from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded twice as many scores from set-pieces as they managed in the 11 games last season ahead of Ruben Amorim took over, while the Black Cats once more prove more successful at netting than the similar-colored team that went down.

Man City seem unaware of the message about scoring more from set-pieces, because they've scored three less than the previous campaign, similar to the Reds, although this may result from the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – are the current campaign's top trend-setters by netting less goals from open play and more from set-plays, while City stand as the sole team to buck the trend to date by doing the exact opposite.

It will be fascinating to see if sides persist to depend greatly on set-plays as the season goes on or if they find again their overall inventiveness and commence scoring increased totals in open-play also.