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A major talking point of the Premier League season so far has been the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way teams are finding goals increasingly from set-pieces instead.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 less in total.

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

Even with the big increase in dead-ball scores, records show just two more shots generated from them excluding penalties, demonstrating the efficiency clubs have been at devising strategies to score from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Show an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals notched in the first 110 fixtures up to now averages out at nearly 2.75 goals each match, if this persists for the whole season might be the lowest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 average).

But just 196 goals coming in open play equates to 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76).

2009-10 additionally represents the sole English top-flight season to see goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?

Regarding goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen by far the biggest decrease, registering a mere four in 11 games, 10 less than this point the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolverhampton, the EPL's decline in open-play scoring is largely a trend among London clubs, with five out of the London's seven clubs scoring five or more fewer goals from open-play than last season.

In fairness, this is primarily due to them scoring numerous scores at the beginning of last season rather than them really struggling to find the net in open-play this season.

Conversely City have recorded the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 goals so far coming in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Comparing clubs that came up with the teams that went down they took the place of. Play-off champions the Black Cats have netted an additional three goals in open play than the Saints achieved in their first 11 games on their way to demotion last season.

Regarding scoring from set-plays (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and Chelsea have experienced the most significant jump, with the two clubs making up for the five less goals that they've netted in open-play with the same number from dead-ball situations.

Man United have netted twice as many scores from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games last season ahead of Ruben Amorim took charge, while Sunderland additionally are more successful at scoring than the club they replaced they superseded.

Man City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, since they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, as have Forest, although this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this term's top trend-setters by netting less goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Manchester City represent the sole team to defy the pattern to date by achieving the exact opposite.

It will be fascinating to see if clubs persist to rely so heavily on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they find again their general attacking flair and start scoring additional scores in open-play as well.