🔗 Share this article

A major talking point of the EPL this campaign has been the decline of scoring in open play and how teams are finding goals more from set-plays as an alternative.

Looking at scoring methods to the first 11 games the prior season, we note 39 fewer goals in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, leading to 13 less in total.

Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making show a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than this time last season.

Regardless of the big increase in set-play finishes, records show a mere two extra shots generated from them outside of penalties, showing the proficiency sides are at devising strategies to score from set-pieces.

Goal Statistics Show an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals scored in 110 games up to now averages out at nearly 2.75 goals per game, which if it continued for the entire campaign would be the smallest for half a decade, since 2020-21 (2.69 average).

However, only 196 scores scored in open play translates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season additionally represents the sole English top-flight season to experience goals scored more often from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 each match (0.79 average).

Which Sides Account for This Change?

Regarding goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant decline, netting only four in 11 games, 10 fewer than at this stage last season.

Excluding Wolves, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is very much a trend among London clubs, with five out of the capital's seven sides scoring five or more fewer goals from open play than last season.

To be fair, this is primarily due to their scoring numerous scores at the start of last season as opposed to their genuine struggle to score in open play this campaign.

Conversely Manchester City have experienced the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 goals to date arriving in open-play.

Dead-Ball Dominance

We've compared newly promoted sides with the relegated sides they took the place of. Sunderland Sunderland have recorded three more goals in open play than Southampton did in matchday 11 leading to the drop last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (not counting penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have seen the largest rise, with the two clubs compensating for the five fewer scores that they've scored in open play with an equal amount from dead-ball chances.

Man United have recorded two times more scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches last season prior to the manager took charge, while the Black Cats once more are more effective at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

City seem unaware of the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, because they've netted a reduction of three than last season, like Forest, even if this may result from the altered approach they're working to install.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Tottenham and West Ham – have been the current campaign's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer scores from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City are the unique club to buck the trend so far by performing the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to observe if clubs persist to place such emphasis on set-plays as the season goes on or if they find again their general attacking flair and begin scoring additional scores in open play also.