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A major talking point of the EPL this campaign concerns the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and how sides are netting more from dead-ball situations instead.

Looking at how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches last season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open-play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer in total.

If we look at the broader view, shot attempts sides are producing have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last season.

Regardless of the big increase in set-play finishes, there have actually been only two additional shots produced from them excluding spot-kicks, showing the efficiency teams have been at devising strategies to net from set-pieces.

Scoring Rates Tell a Story

301 total goals notched in 110 matches to date works out at 2.74 scores per game, which if it continued for the whole season could be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 average).

However, only under 200 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the smallest for since 2009-10, back in 2009-10 (1.76 average).

That campaign additionally represents the unique EPL campaign to experience scoring more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

In terms of scoring from open play, Wolves have seen the largest decrease, scoring only four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolves, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a London phenomenon, with half of the city's seven teams netting a minimum of five goals fewer from open play than last season.

In fairness, that's largely down to them scoring many goals at the start of the previous campaign rather than them really struggling to convert in open-play this campaign.

Conversely City have seen the biggest increase, with almost every one of their 23 scores this season originating in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at the promoted teams with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off winners Sunderland have netted three extra scores in open play than Southampton achieved in matchday 11 leading to the drop the previous campaign.

In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have recorded the largest rise, with both sides replacing the five fewer goals that they've netted in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

Manchester United have netted double the number goals from set-plays as they achieved in matchday 11 the previous campaign before Ruben Amorim took over, while the Black Cats again are better at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

Man City seem unaware of the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, since they've scored three less than the previous campaign, similar to Forest, although this may result from the change in style they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Tottenham and West Ham – are this season's primary examples by netting less goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the only side to defy the pattern so far by doing the complete reverse.

It will be fascinating to see if sides carry on to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their all-round creativity and commence scoring more goals in open play too.