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A key narrative of the Premier League this campaign concerns the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way teams are netting increasingly from set-pieces instead.

Looking at scoring methods to the first 11 games last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from set-plays and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer in total.

Examining the broader view, efforts on goal teams are taking have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than this time previously.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show just two more shots produced from them outside of penalties, demonstrating the proficiency sides have been at discovering methods to score from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Reveal a Story

The 301 goals recorded in 110 matches to date calculates at 2.74 scores per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games could be the least for since 2020-21, from five seasons ago (2.69).

But just under 200 goals coming in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the lowest for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

2009-10 is also the only Premier League campaign to experience scoring at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded by far the biggest drop, netting a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than this point the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolves, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is largely a London thing, with five of the London's seven clubs recording at least five fewer goals from open-play than last season.

In fairness, that's largely down to them scoring many scores at the start of the previous campaign instead of their genuine struggle to convert in open play the current term.

At the same time City have recorded the largest rise, with nearly all of their 23 goals so far originating in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Looking at clubs that came up with the relegated sides they took the place of. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three more goals in open-play than Southampton did in matchday 11 on their way to demotion the previous campaign.

When it comes to goals scored from set-plays (not counting spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have seen the largest rise, with each team making up for the reduction of five goals that they've produced in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

Man United have netted double the number scores from set-pieces as they managed in the first 11 matches last season prior to their coach took charge, while Sunderland again have been better at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

City don't seem to have got the memo about scoring more from set-plays, as they've netted a reduction of three than the previous campaign, as have Nottingham Forest, although this could be because of the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – have been this term's leading trend-followers by recording fewer scores from open-play and more from set-pieces, while Manchester City represent the unique club to go against the grain up to now by achieving the exact opposite.

It will be interesting to see if teams persist to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they rediscover their all-round creativity and start netting additional scores in open-play also.