Is the Entertainment Fading? The Drop of the Goals from Open Play
One of the biggest stories of England's top flight this campaign concerns the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how teams are netting increasingly from set-plays instead.
Looking at how goals have been scored to the first 11 games last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer altogether.
Examining the broader view, the number of shots sides are producing have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than this time previously.
Even with the significant rise in dead-ball scores, records show a mere two extra shots generated from these situations outside of penalties, demonstrating the proficiency clubs are at finding ways to convert from set-pieces.
Scoring Rates Tell an Interesting Narrative
Over 300 goals recorded in 110 matches so far calculates at 2.74 scores each match, if this persists for the entire campaign might be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).
Yet merely 196 scores coming in open-play averages out 1.78 per game and is on course to be the least for since 2009-10, back in 2009-10 (1.76 average).
That campaign is also the unique EPL season to experience scoring more frequently from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79 average).
Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?
When it comes to scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen by far the biggest decrease, scoring a mere four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than at this stage last season.
Apart from Wolverhampton, England's top division's drop in goals from open play is largely a trend among London clubs, with five out of the city's seven teams scoring at least five less scores from open-play than the prior season.
In fairness, this is primarily due to them scoring lots of scores at the early stages of last season rather than them having difficulty to convert in open-play the current term.
Conversely Man City have experienced the largest rise, with all but one of the 23 they've scored so far coming in open play.
Set-Play Proficiency
We've compared the promoted teams with the relegated sides they replaced. Play-off winners the Black Cats have netted an additional three scores in open play than the Saints did in their first 11 games on their way to relegation the previous campaign.
Regarding goals scored from set-plays (excluding spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the largest rise, with both sides making up for the five less scores that they've netted in open play with the same number from set-pieces.
Man United have recorded two times more goals from set-plays as they achieved in the first 11 matches last season prior to the manager took charge, while Sunderland again prove better at scoring than the club they replaced they superseded.
Man City don't seem to have got the message about increasing scoring from set-plays, since they've netted three less than last season, similar to the Reds, though this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.
Overall Patterns
Six teams – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – have been the current campaign's primary examples by netting less scores from open play and additional from set-pieces, while Manchester City represent the sole team to defy the pattern to date by doing the complete reverse.
It will be fascinating to observe if teams continue to place such emphasis on set-plays as matches continue or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and start scoring more goals in open-play also.