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A key narrative of England's top flight this campaign concerns the drop of goals scored in open play and how sides are netting more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

Looking at scoring methods to the initial 11 matches the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 goals in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer altogether.

Considering the broader view, efforts on goal clubs are making have seen an incredible 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last time out.

Regardless of the notable jump in dead-ball scores, there have actually been a mere two extra shots produced from these situations excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency clubs have been at devising strategies to score from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Show the Tale

The 301 goals scored in the first 110 fixtures to date averages out at 2.74 goals per fixture, if this persists for the entire campaign would be the least for since 2020-21, since 2020-21 (2.69 per game).

Yet merely under 200 goals scored in open play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is on course to be the lowest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season additionally represents the only Premier League campaign to see scoring at a higher rate from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this season's rate of 0.77 per game (0.79).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolves have recorded by far the biggest drop, netting only four in 11 games, 10 less than this point the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolverhampton, the Premier League's drop in goals from open play is largely a trend among London clubs, with five out of the city's seven teams recording at least five less scores from open play than the previous year.

In fairness, that's largely down to them netting lots of goals at the start of last season rather than them having difficulty to find the net in open play this campaign.

Conversely City have experienced the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 scores this season originating in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Looking at newly promoted sides with the relegated sides they replaced. Sunderland the Black Cats have scored three extra scores in open-play than the Saints achieved in their first 11 games on their way to the drop the previous campaign.

In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have experienced the biggest increase, with the two clubs making up for the five fewer goals that they've netted in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball situations.

United have scored double the number scores from set-pieces as they managed in the 11 games last season prior to Ruben Amorim took charge, while Sunderland again are more effective at netting than the club they replaced they superseded.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the message about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've scored a reduction of three than last season, like the Reds, although this could be because of the tactical shift they're working to install.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and West Ham – represent the current campaign's top trend-setters by recording fewer scores from open play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the sole team to defy the pattern so far by doing the exact opposite.

It will be fascinating to watch if clubs continue to depend greatly on set-pieces as matches continue or if they regain their overall inventiveness and begin netting more goals in open-play as well.