Where Has the Excitement Gone? The Fall of the Goals from Open Play
One of the biggest stories of England's top flight this campaign has been the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how sides are finding goals more from set-pieces as an alternative.
Comparing scoring methods to the first 11 games last season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less altogether.
If we look at overall statistics, the number of shots teams are taking show an incredible drop of 370 in open play than at this stage last season.
Regardless of the notable jump in set-play finishes, records show just two more attempts created from them excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating how effective clubs are at finding ways to net from dead-ball situations.
Goal Averages Reveal an Interesting Narrative
301 total goals scored in 110 matches so far averages out at 2.74 goals per fixture, which if it continued for all 38 games could be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).
But just under 200 goals scored in open play translates to 1.78 per game and is on course to be the smallest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).
That campaign also marks the sole English top-flight season to experience scoring more often from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).
Which Sides Are Most Responsible?
Regarding scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant decline, scoring just four in their first 11 fixtures, 10 fewer than this point the previous campaign.
Excluding Wolves, the EPL's drop in open play goals is largely a London thing, with five out of the city's seven teams netting a minimum of five less scores from open-play than the prior season.
Honestly, that's largely down to their scoring many scores at the beginning of last season instead of them having difficulty to score in open-play this season.
Meanwhile City have experienced the biggest increase, with all but one of the 23 they've scored this season coming in open-play.
Set-Piece Success
Looking at the promoted teams with the relegated sides they replaced. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded an additional three scores in open play than Southampton managed in their first 11 games leading to demotion the previous campaign.
When it comes to scoring from dead-ball situations (excluding spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five fewer goals that they've produced in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.
Manchester United have recorded twice as many goals from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 the previous campaign ahead of the manager assumed control, while the Black Cats again prove more successful at netting than the similar-colored team they replaced.
Man City appear not to have received the trend about netting additional goals from set-plays, because they've netted three less than last season, like the Reds, even if that might be down to the altered approach they've attempted to adopt.
General Tendencies
Six teams – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – are this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open play and additional from set-plays, while Man City stand as the only side to defy the pattern to date by achieving the complete reverse.
It remains to be seen to observe if sides carry on to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their all-round creativity and commence netting increased totals in open play as well.
