🔗 Share this article Is the Entertainment Fading? The Decline of the Goals from Open Play Wolves recorded a decrease of 10 scores from open-play situations compared to at this stage last season. A key narrative of the Premier League season so far has been the reduction of goals scored in open play and the way clubs have been scoring increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative. Looking at how goals have been scored to the first 11 games the prior season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, giving us 13 fewer altogether. If we look at overall statistics, the number of shots clubs are making have seen a remarkable 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last time out. And despite the big increase in set-play finishes, we've actually seen a mere two extra attempts generated from them outside of spot-kicks, indicating the efficiency sides are at finding ways to score from dead-ball chances. Goal Statistics Show a Story 301 total goals recorded in 110 matches up to now averages out at 2.74 scores per fixture, if this persists for all 38 games would be the lowest for half a decade, since 2020-21 (2.69). However, only 196 goals coming in open-play averages out 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 average). That campaign is also the only Premier League season to experience scoring more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79). Which Teams Account for This Change? Regarding scoring from open play, Wolves have experienced by far the biggest decrease, scoring a mere four in 11 games, 10 less than this point last season. Outside of Wolves, the EPL's decline in open play goals is predominantly a London phenomenon, with half of the capital's seven sides recording at least five goals fewer from open-play than the previous year. Honestly, this is primarily due to them netting many goals at the start of last season rather than their genuine struggle to convert in open-play this campaign. Meanwhile Man City have recorded the biggest increase, with nearly all of their 23 goals so far arriving in open-play. Set-Play Proficiency Looking at the promoted teams with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off winners Sunderland have recorded an additional three goals in open play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches on their way to demotion last season. Regarding goals scored from set-plays (not counting penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have recorded the most significant jump, with the two clubs replacing the five fewer goals that they've scored in open play with identical figures from dead-ball chances. Manchester United have recorded twice as many goals from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games last season prior to the manager took over, while Sunderland once more are more successful at netting than the club they replaced they replaced. Manchester City seem unaware of the message about netting additional goals from set-pieces, as they've recorded a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like Forest, though this could be because of the altered approach they've attempted to adopt. League-Wide Trends Six teams – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – are this term's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open play and more from set-plays, while Man City stand as the only side to buck the trend so far by performing the complete reverse. It will be interesting to watch if teams persist to rely so heavily on set-plays as the season goes on or if they regain their general attacking flair and commence scoring additional scores in open play as well.