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A major talking point of England's top flight season so far is the decline of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how sides have been scoring increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

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

Examining the broader view, the number of shots clubs are making reveal an incredible drop of 370 in open play than at this stage previously.

Regardless of the significant rise in set-piece goals, records show only two additional attempts generated from them excluding penalties, demonstrating the proficiency clubs have been at finding ways to net from set-pieces.

Goal Averages Tell a Story

301 total goals notched in 110 matches to date averages out at 2.74 scores each match, if maintained for the entire campaign would be the smallest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely under 200 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is heading to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

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

Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?

When it comes to scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the most significant decrease, scoring a mere four in 11 matches, a reduction of 10 than this point last season.

Apart from Wolverhampton, the EPL's decline in open play goals is largely a London phenomenon, with five out of the capital's seven sides netting a minimum of five goals fewer from open-play than last season.

Honestly, this is mainly because their scoring numerous goals at the beginning of last season rather than them having difficulty to convert in open-play the current term.

Meanwhile Manchester City have recorded the biggest increase, with all but one of their 23 goals this season coming in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Looking at the promoted teams with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three more goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches leading to relegation the previous campaign.

Regarding scoring from set-plays (aside from penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with each team replacing the five less goals that they've netted in open play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded two times more scores from set-plays as they achieved in matchday 11 last season ahead of their coach took charge, while Sunderland once more are better at netting than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

Man City don't seem to have got the memo about netting additional goals from set-plays, as they've recorded three fewer than the previous campaign, similar to Forest, even if that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six sides – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – represent this season's top trend-setters by recording fewer goals from open play and additional from set-pieces, while Man City are the unique club to defy the pattern up to now by doing the contrary.

It remains to be seen to watch if sides continue to place such emphasis on set-plays as the season goes on or if they regain their overall inventiveness and start netting additional scores in open-play as well.