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A major talking point of the EPL season so far is the reduction of goals scored in open play and the way clubs are finding goals more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Comparing scoring methods to the first 11 games last season, we note 39 fewer goals in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less altogether.

Examining overall statistics, efforts on goal clubs are making reveal an incredible drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the significant rise in set-piece goals, we've actually seen a mere two extra attempts created from these situations excluding penalties, demonstrating how effective teams are at finding ways to score from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Reveal an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals scored in 110 games so far calculates at 2.74 scores per fixture, if this persists for the entire campaign might be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69).

However, only 196 scores coming in open-play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is heading to be the lowest for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76).

The 2009-10 season additionally represents the unique EPL campaign to witness goals scored more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

Regarding scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the most significant drop, scoring just four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Apart from Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in open play goals is largely a London thing, with five of the capital's seven sides scoring at least five fewer goals from open-play than last season.

In fairness, this is mainly because them netting many goals at the start of the previous campaign instead of them having difficulty to find the net in open-play the current term.

Meanwhile City have seen the largest rise, with nearly all of their 23 scores so far arriving in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing newly promoted sides with the relegated sides that they superseded. Play-off winners the Black Cats have recorded three extra goals in open play than the Saints managed in their opening 11 matches on their way to demotion last season.

In terms of scoring from set-plays (aside from spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the biggest increase, with each team making up for the five less scores that they've netted in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

United have scored twice as many goals from set-plays as they did in the 11 games the previous campaign before Ruben Amorim took charge, while the Black Cats once more have been better at converting than the similar-colored team they replaced.

City appear not to have received the trend about netting additional goals from set-pieces, since they've recorded three fewer than last season, similar to the Reds, although this may result from the tactical shift they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this term's leading trend-followers by recording fewer scores from open-play and more from set-plays, while City are the only side to defy the pattern to date by achieving the contrary.

It remains to be seen to observe if sides continue to depend greatly on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they rediscover their all-round creativity and begin converting increased totals in open-play too.