Are You Not Being Entertained? This Drop of Open-Play Goal Scoring

A major talking point of the Premier League season so far concerns the decline of scoring in open-play scenarios and how teams are netting increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

Looking at how goals have been scored to matchday 11 last season, we see 39 fewer scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 less overall.

Considering the broader view, efforts on goal sides are producing show a remarkable drop of 370 in open play than this time last time out.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show only two additional shots created from these situations excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating how effective teams are at discovering methods to convert from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Show an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals scored in 110 matches up to now calculates at 2.74 goals per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games could be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

However, only under 200 goals scored in open-play equates to 1.78 each match and is heading to be the least for since 2009-10, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

The 2009-10 season also marks the unique EPL campaign to witness scoring at a higher rate from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79).

What Clubs Are Most Responsible?

Regarding scoring from open-play, Wolves have experienced the most significant decline, scoring a mere four in 11 games, 10 fewer than at this stage the previous campaign.

Apart from Wolves, the Premier League's decline in open play goals is predominantly a London thing, with five out of the city's seven teams netting a minimum of five fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.

Honestly, that's largely down to them scoring many scores at the beginning of the previous campaign rather than their genuine struggle to score in open-play this campaign.

At the same time City have recorded the largest rise, with almost every one of their 23 goals to date originating in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared the promoted teams with those that were relegated that they superseded. Play-off champions Sunderland have netted three extra goals in open play than Southampton did in their opening 11 matches on their way to the drop last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (aside from penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the most significant jump, with each team making up for the five fewer goals that they've netted in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball situations.

Manchester United have recorded two times more scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches last season before Ruben Amorim took over, while Sunderland additionally have been more effective at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

City don't seem to have got the message about scoring more from set-plays, as they've recorded a reduction of three than the previous campaign, as have Nottingham Forest, although this may result from the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

Overall Patterns

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – have been this term's leading trend-followers by netting less scores from open play and additional from set-pieces, while Man City represent the unique club to buck the trend up to now by performing the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to see if sides carry on to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they regain their general attacking flair and begin netting additional scores in open play as well.