Where Has the Excitement Gone? The Drop of the Goal Scoring
A key narrative of the Premier League this campaign concerns the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how sides have been scoring more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.
Looking at how goals have been scored to the initial 11 matches last season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open-play and 26 more from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 less overall.
Examining the bigger picture, shot attempts teams are taking reveal a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last season.
Regardless of the notable jump in set-piece goals, there have actually been just two more attempts generated from them excluding spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency teams have been at devising strategies to score from dead-ball situations.
Goal Averages Show a Story
301 total goals notched in 110 matches up to now works out at 2.74 scores per game, if this persists for the whole season would be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69).
However, only 196 scores coming in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game).
The 2009-10 season additionally represents the only Premier League campaign to see goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).
Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?
When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the most significant drop, netting just four in 11 games, 10 less than this point last season.
Outside of Wolverhampton, the Premier League's decline in goals from open play is predominantly a trend among London clubs, with five of the city's seven teams netting a minimum of five less scores from open-play than last season.
In fairness, this is mainly because them netting numerous goals at the start of the previous campaign rather than their genuine struggle to convert in open-play this season.
At the same time Manchester City have experienced the biggest increase, with almost every one of their 23 scores to date coming in open-play.
Set-Piece Success
Looking at clubs that came up with those that were relegated they took the place of. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three more scores in open play than Southampton did in their opening 11 matches leading to demotion last season.
Regarding scoring from dead-ball situations (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with both sides making up for the five less goals that they've produced in open play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.
United have recorded two times more goals from set-pieces as they managed in the 11 games the previous campaign prior to the manager took over, while the Black Cats additionally have been better at netting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.
City appear not to have received the trend about netting additional goals from set-plays, because they've recorded three less than the previous campaign, like Forest, though that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.
Overall Patterns
Six teams – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham – are this term's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City stand as the sole team to go against the grain to date by performing the exact opposite.
It will be interesting to watch if clubs continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they find again their overall inventiveness and begin scoring additional scores in open-play also.
