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One of the biggest stories of the EPL season so far is the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams are netting increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.

Looking at scoring methods to matchday 11 the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 fewer overall.

Examining overall statistics, the number of shots sides are producing show a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than this time previously.

And despite the big increase in dead-ball scores, there have actually been a mere two extra attempts produced from them outside of penalties, demonstrating the proficiency sides are at devising strategies to score from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Show a Story

Over 300 goals scored in 110 matches to date calculates at nearly 2.75 goals per game, if this persists for the whole season would be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69).

Yet merely under 200 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 per fixture and is tracking to be the smallest for 16 years, from 16 years ago (1.76 per game).

That campaign additionally represents the only Premier League campaign to experience goals scored more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than the current rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

When it comes to goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant decline, scoring only four in 11 games, 10 less than at this stage the previous campaign.

Excluding Wolves, the Premier League's drop in open-play scoring is very much a trend among London clubs, with five of the capital's seven sides scoring a minimum of five fewer goals from open play than the previous year.

To be fair, this is primarily due to their scoring numerous goals at the early stages of the previous campaign as opposed to them really struggling to score in open play this season.

At the same time City have recorded the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 scores to date originating in open play.

Set-Piece Success

We've compared clubs that came up with the teams that went down that they superseded. Play-off champions Sunderland have netted three extra goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in matchday 11 leading to the drop the previous campaign.

When it comes to scoring from set-pieces (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the most significant jump, with the two clubs replacing the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

Man United have scored twice as many goals from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches last season ahead of the manager took charge, while Sunderland again prove more effective at scoring than the club they replaced they replaced.

Manchester City don't seem to have got the memo about increasing scoring from set-pieces, because they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, like the Reds, even if this may result from the altered approach they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – represent the current campaign's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the only side to buck the trend up to now by doing the complete reverse.

It will be fascinating to observe if sides carry on to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their general attacking flair and begin converting increased totals in open play too.