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A key narrative of the EPL season so far is the reduction of goals scored in open play and how sides are finding goals increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

When we compare goal sources to matchday 11 the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, giving us 13 fewer overall.

If we look at overall statistics, efforts on goal sides are producing have seen a staggering drop of 370 in open play than this time last time out.

And despite the notable jump in set-piece goals, we've actually seen a mere two extra attempts created from them outside of spot-kicks, showing how effective sides have been at discovering methods to score from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Reveal a Story

Over 300 goals notched in the first 110 fixtures up to now averages out at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, which if it continued for the whole season might be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

Yet merely under 200 goals scored in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

That campaign also marks the unique EPL season to experience goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?

When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolves have recorded the largest decline, netting a mere four in 11 games, 10 fewer than this point last season.

Apart from Wolves, the EPL's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with five out of the London's seven clubs recording a minimum of five less scores from open play than the previous year.

Honestly, this is primarily due to them scoring many goals at the start of the previous campaign instead of them really struggling to convert in open-play this season.

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Looking at clubs that came up with those that were relegated they took the place of. Play-off winners Sunderland have netted three extra scores in open play than Southampton achieved in their first 11 games on their way to the drop last season.

In terms of goals scored from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have experienced the largest rise, with both sides compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.

Man United have recorded two times more scores from set-pieces as they achieved in the first 11 matches the previous campaign before their coach took charge, while Sunderland again have been better at converting than the similar-colored team that went down.

Man City appear not to have received the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, since they've recorded three fewer than the previous campaign, like Forest, even if that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – have been this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer scores from open play and additional from set-plays, while Manchester City are the only side to go against the grain so far by achieving the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to see if teams continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as the campaign progresses or if they find again their all-round creativity and start converting more goals in open play also.