One of the biggest stories of England's top flight season so far is the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how teams have been scoring more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.
Comparing how goals have been scored to matchday 11 the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 less altogether.
If we look at the broader view, the number of shots clubs are making reveal an incredible drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last time out.
And despite the notable jump in set-play finishes, we've actually seen only two additional shots produced from them outside of spot-kicks, indicating the proficiency clubs are at devising strategies to net from dead-ball situations.
The 301 goals scored in 110 matches so far calculates at 2.74 goals each match, which if it continued for the entire campaign might be the smallest for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69).
But just 196 scores scored in open play averages out 1.78 each match and is heading to be the smallest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).
2009-10 is also the only Premier League season to witness goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).
In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolves have experienced the most significant drop, registering just four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.
Outside of Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is very much a London phenomenon, with five out of the city's seven teams scoring at least five fewer goals from open play than the prior season.
Honestly, this is mainly because their scoring numerous scores at the beginning of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to find the net in open play this season.
Conversely Man City have seen the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 goals this season arriving in open-play.
Comparing newly promoted sides with the teams that went down they replaced. Play-off champions the Black Cats have netted an additional three scores in open-play than Southampton did in their first 11 games leading to relegation the previous campaign.
When it comes to goals scored from set-pieces (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have seen the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five fewer goals that they've scored in open-play with the same number from dead-ball chances.
Manchester United have netted double the number goals from set-plays as they achieved in matchday 11 last season ahead of Ruben Amorim took charge, while Sunderland additionally are better at scoring than the club they replaced they superseded.
City seem unaware of the trend about scoring more from set-plays, as they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, as have the Reds, though that might be down to the altered approach they're working to install.
Six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – represent this term's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open-play and additional 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 fascinating 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 commence scoring additional scores in open-play too.
