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A key narrative of the Premier League this campaign has been the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way sides are finding goals increasingly from set-pieces as an alternative.

Comparing scoring methods to the first 11 games last season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 less in total.

If we look at the broader view, efforts on goal sides are producing show a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than this time last season.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-piece goals, we've actually seen only two additional attempts created from these situations outside of spot-kicks, demonstrating how effective clubs have been at devising strategies to score from set-pieces.

Scoring Rates Show a Story

The 301 goals notched in the first 110 fixtures to date works out at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, if this persists for the whole season might be the least for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

But just 196 goals scored in open-play equates to 1.78 per game and is heading to be the smallest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

That campaign additionally represents the only Premier League season to witness goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Are Most Responsible?

In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the largest decline, scoring just four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Outside of Wolves, the Premier League's drop in open-play scoring is very much a London phenomenon, with five of the city's seven teams scoring a minimum of five goals fewer from open play than the prior season.

In fairness, this is mainly because their scoring lots of goals at the early stages of last season rather than them really struggling to convert in open play the current term.

Conversely Manchester City have recorded the largest rise, with almost every one of the 23 they've scored this season arriving in open-play.

Set-Play Proficiency

Comparing clubs that came up with the teams that went down that they superseded. Play-off champions the Black Cats have recorded three extra scores in open-play than Southampton achieved in their opening 11 matches en route to the drop the previous campaign.

When it comes to goals scored from set-pieces (excluding penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have experienced the largest rise, with both sides compensating for the five less scores that they've produced in open-play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

United have netted two times more goals from set-pieces as they achieved in the 11 games the previous campaign ahead of their coach took over, while the Black Cats additionally have been more effective at scoring than the club they replaced that went down.

Man City seem unaware of the message about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've netted a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like Forest, even if that might be down to the altered approach they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six sides – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – have been this term's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open play and more from set-plays, while City are the sole team to defy the pattern to date by doing the complete reverse.

It remains to be seen to watch if teams persist to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and commence netting increased totals in open play also.