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A major talking point of the Premier League season so far is the decline of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way sides have been scoring increasingly from set-pieces instead.

Comparing goal sources to matchday 11 the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 less in total.

If we look at the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making show a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than this time previously.

Regardless of the big increase in set-play finishes, there have actually been just two more shots generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, showing the efficiency sides are at discovering methods to convert from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Reveal a Story

301 total goals scored in 110 matches so far works out at 2.74 scores each match, if this persists for the whole season could be the least for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 goals coming in open-play equates to 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the lowest for 16 seasons, from 16 years ago (1.76 per game).

2009-10 additionally represents the only Premier League campaign to see scoring more frequently from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).

What Clubs Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the largest drop, netting just four in 11 matches, a reduction of 10 than at this stage the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolves, the Premier League's fall in open play goals is very much a trend among London clubs, with five out of the capital's seven sides netting at least five fewer goals from open-play than the previous year.

Honestly, that's largely down to them netting lots of scores at the start of last season rather than them having difficulty to convert in open play this campaign.

Meanwhile Manchester City have seen the most significant jump, with all but one of the 23 they've scored so far arriving in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing clubs that came up with those that were relegated they replaced. Sunderland the Black Cats have scored three extra scores in open play than Southampton achieved in matchday 11 en route to the drop last season.

When it comes to goals scored from set-plays (excluding penalties), the Gunners and Chelsea have recorded the biggest increase, with the two clubs making up for the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

United have scored two times more scores from set-plays as they did in matchday 11 the previous campaign ahead of the manager took over, while the Black Cats once more are more effective at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.

City appear not to have received the trend about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like Forest, although that might be down to the tactical shift they have tried to implement.

General Tendencies

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this term's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer scores from open play and more from set-pieces, while City stand as the only side to go against the grain up to now by doing the complete reverse.

It will be fascinating to observe if clubs continue to place such emphasis on set-pieces as matches continue or if they regain their overall inventiveness and commence scoring additional scores in open-play as well.