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A key narrative of the Premier League season so far has been the reduction of goals scored in open play and the way sides have been scoring more from set-plays instead.

Comparing how goals have been scored to matchday 11 last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 less in total.

Examining the bigger picture, efforts on goal sides are producing reveal an incredible 370 fewer in open play than at this stage previously.

And despite the notable jump in set-piece goals, we've actually seen just two more shots generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, indicating the efficiency clubs have been at discovering methods to score from dead-ball chances.

Goal Averages Show the Tale

Over 300 goals notched in 110 matches to date calculates at 2.74 goals per fixture, which if it continued for the whole season would be the least for since 2020-21, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

Yet merely 196 scores coming in open play averages out 1.78 each match and is on course to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

The 2009-10 season also marks the only Premier League campaign to experience scoring more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the largest drop, netting a mere four in 11 matches, 10 less than this point last season.

Outside of Wolves, the Premier League's drop in open-play scoring is largely a London phenomenon, with half of the London's seven clubs recording at least five goals fewer from open-play than the previous year.

Honestly, this is mainly because their scoring many scores at the early stages of last season rather than them having difficulty to convert in open-play this season.

Conversely Man City have recorded the largest rise, with almost every one of their 23 scores this season arriving in open play.

Set-Play Proficiency

We've compared the promoted teams with the relegated sides that they superseded. Sunderland Sunderland have scored an additional three scores in open-play than the Saints did in their first 11 games leading to demotion last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (excluding spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the largest rise, with the two clubs compensating for the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded twice as many scores from set-pieces as they achieved in the first 11 matches the previous campaign before their coach took over, while Sunderland once more are more effective at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

Manchester City appear not to have received the message about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've netted three less than the previous campaign, similar to Nottingham Forest, although this may result from the change in style they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six sides – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and the Hammers – are this term's primary examples by scoring fewer goals from open play and more from set-pieces, while City represent the sole team to defy the pattern to date by achieving the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to watch if teams carry on to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they regain their general attacking flair and commence netting more goals in open play also.