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A major talking point of England's top flight season so far has been the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way clubs have been scoring increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Comparing scoring methods to the initial 11 matches last season, we see a drop of 39 goals in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 less altogether.

If we look at overall statistics, shot attempts sides are producing have seen an incredible drop of 370 in open play than this time last time out.

Even with the notable jump in set-play finishes, records show just two more attempts created from these situations outside of spot-kicks, indicating the proficiency sides are at finding ways to net from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Show a Story

The 301 goals recorded in the first 110 fixtures to date works out at 2.74 goals per game, which if it continued for all 38 games would be the smallest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).

Yet merely 196 goals scored in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is on course to be the lowest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

The 2009-10 season is also the sole English top-flight season to see scoring at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 average).

Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced the largest decrease, netting just four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Outside of Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with half of the city's seven teams netting at least five fewer goals from open-play than last season.

To be fair, this is mainly because them scoring many goals at the beginning of the previous campaign as opposed to them really struggling to convert in open-play this season.

Meanwhile Manchester City have seen the most significant jump, with almost every one of their 23 goals to date originating in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing clubs that came up with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three more scores in open play than Southampton managed in their opening 11 matches leading to the drop last season.

In terms of goals scored from dead-ball situations (aside from penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with the two clubs replacing the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.

United have scored two times more scores from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 last season ahead of the manager took charge, while Sunderland once more prove better at netting than the club they replaced they superseded.

Manchester City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, since they've netted a reduction of three than the previous campaign, similar to Nottingham Forest, although this could be because of the change in style they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six teams – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – are this term's leading trend-followers by recording fewer goals from open play and additional from set-plays, while City stand as the only side to defy the pattern so far by doing the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to observe if teams continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as the season goes on or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and begin netting increased totals in open-play too.