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A key narrative of the Premier League season so far concerns the decline of goals scored in open play and the way clubs have been scoring more from set-plays as an alternative.

Looking at goal sources to the first 11 games last season, we note 39 fewer scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 fewer altogether.

Considering the broader view, shot attempts clubs are making show a remarkable drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last time out.

Even with the significant rise in dead-ball scores, there have actually been a mere two extra attempts produced from these situations outside of spot-kicks, demonstrating how effective teams are at discovering methods to score from set-pieces.

Scoring Rates Show an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals notched in 110 matches up to now works out at 2.74 scores per game, if this persists for the whole season could be the least for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

Yet merely under 200 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

That campaign additionally represents the only Premier League season to experience scoring more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 average).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolves have seen the largest drop, netting only four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Outside of Wolverhampton, England's top division's fall in goals from open play is largely a London thing, with half of the capital's seven sides netting five or more less scores from open play than the prior season.

In fairness, this is primarily due to their scoring numerous goals at the early stages of last season instead of their genuine struggle to find the net in open-play this season.

At the same time City have experienced the largest rise, with almost every one of the 23 they've scored so far originating in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Comparing the promoted teams with the teams that went down that they superseded. Sunderland Sunderland have scored three more goals in open-play than Southampton did in matchday 11 en route to demotion last season.

In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with the two clubs making up for the five fewer goals that they've scored in open play with the same number from dead-ball chances.

Man United have netted two times more scores from set-pieces as they achieved in the 11 games last season before Ruben Amorim took over, while the Black Cats once more prove more successful at netting than the similar-colored team they superseded.

Manchester City seem unaware of the trend about increasing scoring from set-pieces, since they've recorded three less than last season, similar to the Reds, though this may result from the change in style they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – are the current campaign's primary examples by recording fewer scores from open play and more from set-plays, while Man City stand as the unique club to buck the trend up to now by performing the contrary.

It remains to be seen to observe if teams carry on to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their general attacking flair and start netting increased totals in open-play also.