Are You Not Being Entertained? This Drop of the Goal Scoring

One of the biggest stories of the EPL this campaign concerns the decline of scoring in open play and the way sides are finding goals increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the first 11 games last season, there have been 39 fewer scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer in total.

Examining the bigger picture, shot attempts teams are taking reveal an incredible 370 fewer in open play than this time previously.

Regardless of the notable jump in dead-ball scores, records show just two more attempts generated from these situations excluding penalties, indicating the efficiency teams have been at devising strategies to convert from dead-ball situations.

Goal Statistics Tell the Tale

301 total goals notched in 110 matches up to now averages out at 2.74 goals per fixture, if this persists for the entire campaign could be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

But just 196 scores scored in open play translates to 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76).

2009-10 additionally represents the unique EPL campaign to see goals scored more frequently from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Teams Account for This Change?

Regarding scoring from open-play, Wolves have experienced by far the biggest decline, scoring a mere four in 11 games, 10 less than this point last season.

Apart from Wolves, England's top division's decline in open play goals is very much a trend among London clubs, with five out of the city's seven teams recording at least five goals fewer from open play than the prior season.

Honestly, that's largely down to their scoring many goals at the beginning of the previous campaign as opposed to them really struggling to convert in open-play this campaign.

Conversely Man City have seen the largest rise, with nearly all of their 23 goals so far originating in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at the promoted teams with the relegated sides that they superseded. Sunderland the Black Cats have recorded three extra goals in open-play than Southampton managed in matchday 11 en route to relegation the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from dead-ball situations (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with the two clubs making up for the five fewer scores that they've produced in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

United have recorded twice as many scores from set-plays as they achieved in the first 11 matches last season before the manager took over, while the Black Cats once more have been more successful at netting than the similar-colored team they replaced.

Man City don't seem to have got the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, since they've recorded three less than last season, as have the Reds, though that might be down to the tactical shift they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six teams – Arsenal, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – represent the current campaign's top trend-setters by netting less goals from open play and increased from set-plays, while Man City are the sole team to defy the pattern up to now by performing the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to observe if sides carry on to depend greatly on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they rediscover their general attacking flair and begin converting more goals in open play as well.