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A major talking point of England's top flight season so far is the drop of goals scored in open play and how sides are finding goals more from set-pieces instead.

Comparing goal sources to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we note a drop of 39 goals in open-play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 less altogether.

Considering the broader view, shot attempts sides are producing show a staggering drop of 370 in open-play than this time previously.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-play finishes, we've actually seen just two more attempts generated from these situations excluding penalties, indicating the efficiency teams have been at devising strategies to net from dead-ball situations.

Goal Averages Show the Tale

The 301 goals notched in 110 games up to now averages out at 2.74 scores per fixture, if this persists for the whole season would be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69).

Yet merely 196 goals coming in open-play averages out 1.78 each match and is on course to be the smallest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76).

That campaign also marks the unique EPL season to see goals scored more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 per game).

What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the most significant drop, netting just four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than this point the previous campaign.

Excluding Wolves, the EPL's drop in goals from open play is very much a trend among London clubs, with five out of the city's seven teams netting at least five fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.

In fairness, that's largely down to them netting numerous scores at the early stages of the previous campaign instead of their genuine struggle to convert in open play this season.

Meanwhile Manchester City have recorded the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 scores so far coming in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing newly promoted sides with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three extra scores in open-play than Southampton did in matchday 11 en route to relegation the previous campaign.

When it comes to goals scored from dead-ball situations (aside from spot-kicks), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with the two clubs compensating for the five fewer goals that they've scored in open play with the same number from dead-ball situations.

Man United have recorded twice as many scores from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games the previous campaign prior to Ruben Amorim took charge, while the Black Cats again are more effective at converting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.

Manchester City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-plays, since they've recorded three less than the previous campaign, like Nottingham Forest, though this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.

Overall Patterns

Six sides – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – are this term's top trend-setters by recording fewer scores from open play and increased from set-pieces, while Manchester City stand as the unique club to defy the pattern so far by doing the exact opposite.

It remains to be seen to observe if teams carry on to depend greatly on set-plays as matches continue or if they find again their overall inventiveness and start scoring increased totals in open play as well.