Where Has the Excitement Gone? The Fall of Open-Play Goal Scoring
One of the biggest stories of England's top flight season so far concerns the decline of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way teams have been scoring increasingly from dead-ball situations instead.
When we compare how goals have been scored to matchday 11 the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer in total.
If we look at the broader view, the number of shots teams are taking reveal a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage last season.
Regardless of the significant rise in set-piece goals, we've actually seen a mere two extra shots generated from these situations excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency clubs have been at finding ways to convert from dead-ball chances.
Goal Averages Show the Tale
Over 300 goals recorded in the first 110 fixtures to date calculates at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games could be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).
Yet merely 196 scores coming in open play translates to 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for since 2009-10, from 16 years ago (1.76 per game).
That campaign is also the sole English top-flight campaign to witness scoring more frequently from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).
What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?
In terms of goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced by far the biggest decrease, netting a mere four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than this point the previous campaign.
Excluding Wolves, England's top division's decline in goals from open play is largely a trend among London clubs, with five of the capital's seven sides recording a minimum of five fewer goals from open-play than the previous year.
In fairness, this is primarily due to them netting numerous goals at the start of last season rather than them having difficulty to convert in open play this campaign.
At the same time Manchester City have recorded the most significant jump, with almost every one of their 23 scores this season coming in open play.
Set-Piece Success
We've compared clubs that came up with the relegated sides they replaced. Sunderland the Black Cats have recorded three more goals in open-play than the Saints managed in their first 11 games en route to relegation last season.
When it comes to goals scored from dead-ball situations (not counting penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have seen the most significant jump, with both sides compensating for the five fewer scores that they've produced in open-play with the same number from dead-ball situations.
Man United have netted twice as many scores from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 last season ahead of their coach took charge, while Sunderland additionally have been more effective at converting than the fellow red-and-whites they replaced.
Manchester City seem unaware of the memo about scoring more from set-pieces, because they've scored three fewer than the previous campaign, as have Forest, even if this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.
Overall Patterns
Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – represent this term's top trend-setters by scoring fewer goals from open-play and more from set-plays, while City are the only side to buck the trend so far by doing the complete reverse.
It will be interesting to observe if teams carry on to rely so heavily on set-pieces as matches continue or if they regain their all-round creativity and start scoring more goals in open play as well.