🔗 Share this article

One of the biggest stories of the EPL this campaign is the decline of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way sides are finding goals increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

When we compare goal sources to matchday 11 the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and penalties, resulting in 13 less overall.

Examining overall statistics, shot attempts sides are producing have seen an incredible drop of 370 in open-play than this time previously.

And despite the significant rise in set-piece goals, records show a mere two extra attempts generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, indicating how effective clubs are at devising strategies to net from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Tell an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals notched in 110 matches to date works out at 2.74 goals per game, which if it continued for the whole season might be the lowest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69).

However, only 196 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for since 2009-10, from 16 years ago (1.76 average).

2009-10 is also the only Premier League campaign to witness goals scored more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Sides Are Most Responsible?

Regarding goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the largest drop, registering just four in 11 games, 10 less than at this stage last season.

Outside of Wolverhampton, the EPL's decline in open play goals is predominantly a London phenomenon, with five out of the London's seven clubs scoring a minimum of five less scores from open-play than the prior season.

To be fair, that's largely down to them scoring numerous scores at the early stages of the previous campaign instead of their genuine struggle to convert in open play this season.

Meanwhile Man City have experienced the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 scores this season coming in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Looking at newly promoted sides with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off champions the Black Cats have recorded an additional three scores in open play than Southampton managed in their opening 11 matches en route to the drop last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-plays (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with each team compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from set-pieces.

Manchester United have recorded twice as many scores from set-pieces as they did in the first 11 matches the previous campaign ahead of the manager assumed control, while Sunderland again prove more successful at scoring than the similar-colored team they replaced.

City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-pieces, since they've recorded three fewer than last season, similar to the Reds, even if that might be down to the altered approach they've attempted to adopt.

Overall Patterns

Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – represent the current campaign's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City are the only side to go against the grain so far by performing the exact opposite.

It will be interesting to watch if teams persist to depend greatly on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and begin scoring additional scores in open-play too.