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A key narrative of the EPL season so far has been the decline of goals scored in open play and how teams have been scoring more from set-pieces as an alternative.

When we compare goal sources to the first 11 games last season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer overall.

Considering overall statistics, efforts on goal sides are producing show an incredible drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last season.

And despite the notable jump in set-piece goals, there have actually been a mere two extra shots produced from these situations excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency teams have been at discovering methods to net from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Show an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals scored in 110 games up to now works out at 2.74 goals per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games would be the least for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

Yet merely 196 scores coming in open-play averages out 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the least for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

That campaign additionally represents the only Premier League season to experience scoring more frequently from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

What Clubs Are Most Responsible?

Regarding goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the largest decrease, registering only four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is very much a London phenomenon, with five of the city's seven teams scoring at least five less scores from open-play than the previous year.

In fairness, this is mainly because their scoring many goals at the start of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to convert in open play the current term.

Meanwhile Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with all but one of their 23 scores to date coming in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

We've compared newly promoted sides with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off winners Sunderland have recorded an additional three goals in open play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games on their way to demotion last season.

Regarding scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have recorded the largest rise, with both sides replacing the five less goals that they've produced in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

United have netted double the number goals from set-plays as they did in the 11 games last season before the manager took over, while the Black Cats once more have been more effective at converting than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

Manchester City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've netted three fewer than last season, like Nottingham Forest, although that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – represent this season's top trend-setters by recording fewer scores from open play and increased from set-plays, while City are the sole team to go against the grain up to now by achieving the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to observe if clubs persist to depend greatly on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they find again their all-round creativity and start netting more goals in open play too.