🔗 Share this article

A major talking point of the Premier League season so far has been the decline of goals scored in open play and how sides are netting more from set-plays instead.

Looking at how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 fewer in total.

Examining the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making show a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the big increase in set-piece goals, we've actually seen just two more attempts created from these situations excluding penalties, demonstrating the efficiency teams are at finding ways to score from dead-ball chances.

Goal Statistics Reveal an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals notched in 110 games up to now works out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, if maintained for the entire campaign would be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69).

Yet merely 196 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the lowest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

2009-10 is also the sole English top-flight campaign to witness scoring more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 each match (0.79).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the largest drop, registering a mere four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolves, the Premier League's fall in open-play scoring is largely a London thing, with five out of the London's seven clubs scoring at least five fewer goals from open play than the prior season.

Honestly, this is primarily due to them netting many goals at the start of the previous campaign as opposed to their genuine struggle to find the net in open play this season.

At the same time City have seen the biggest increase, with almost every one of the 23 they've scored this season arriving in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing newly promoted sides with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off winners Sunderland have recorded three extra goals in open play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with both sides making up for the reduction of five scores that they've produced in open play with identical figures from set-pieces.

Man United have netted double the number scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches last season ahead of the manager took over, while Sunderland once more prove better at converting than the club they replaced that went down.

Man City seem unaware of the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, because they've scored three fewer than last season, like the Reds, though that might be down to the tactical shift they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – Arsenal, the Blues, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – have been this season's top trend-setters by recording fewer goals from open-play and increased from set-pieces, while City represent the sole team to go against the grain up to now by performing the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to see if clubs continue to place such emphasis on set-plays as the season goes on or if they find again their general attacking flair and start netting additional scores in open play as well.