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One of the biggest stories of the EPL season so far concerns the decline of goals scored in open play and the way clubs are netting more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Looking at scoring methods to matchday 11 last season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and penalties, leading to 13 less in total.

Examining overall statistics, efforts on goal clubs are making reveal an incredible drop of 370 in open play than this time last season.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-play finishes, we've actually seen just two more shots generated from these situations outside of penalties, demonstrating how effective clubs have been at devising strategies to convert from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Show a Story

The 301 goals scored in 110 games to date calculates at 2.74 scores per game, which if it continued for the entire campaign would be the least for half a decade, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 scores scored in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the least for 16 seasons, from 16 years ago (1.76 per game).

That campaign is also the sole English top-flight season to experience scoring more often from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant decline, registering a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than this point last season.

Apart from Wolves, England's top division's fall in open play goals is largely a trend among London clubs, with five of the London's seven clubs scoring five or more less scores from open play than last season.

Honestly, this is primarily due to them scoring numerous scores at the early stages of the previous campaign rather than their genuine struggle to find the net in open play the current term.

Meanwhile Man City have seen the most significant jump, with nearly all of their 23 scores so far coming in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

We've compared the promoted teams with the teams that went down they replaced. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded an additional three scores in open play than Southampton achieved in their first 11 games on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

In terms of scoring from set-plays (aside from penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have experienced the largest rise, with the two clubs making up for the five less goals that they've netted in open-play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have netted twice as many goals from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 the previous campaign ahead of the manager assumed control, while Sunderland additionally are better at netting than the similar-colored team that went down.

Manchester City seem unaware of the memo about scoring more from set-pieces, since they've netted a reduction of three than last season, similar to the Reds, even if this may result from the altered approach they're working to install.

Overall Patterns

Six teams – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this season's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open play and increased from set-pieces, while Manchester City are the sole team to buck the trend so far by achieving the contrary.

It will be interesting to see if clubs carry on to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their all-round creativity and begin netting additional scores in open play too.