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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far concerns the drop of scoring in open-play scenarios and the way teams are netting increasingly from set-plays instead.

Comparing how goals have been scored to matchday 11 the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open play and 26 more from set-plays and spot-kicks, giving us 13 fewer overall.

Considering the broader view, shot attempts clubs are making show a remarkable 370 fewer in open-play than this time last season.

Regardless of the notable jump in set-piece goals, records show just two more attempts created from them outside of spot-kicks, showing how effective sides have been at devising strategies to score from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Reveal an Interesting Narrative

Over 300 goals scored in 110 matches to date calculates at nearly 2.75 goals per fixture, if this persists for the whole season might be the smallest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

However, only 196 scores coming in open play equates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the least for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).

The 2009-10 season also marks the only Premier League season to see scoring more often from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79 average).

Which Teams Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the largest decrease, registering just four in 11 matches, 10 less than at this stage the previous campaign.

Outside of Wolves, England's top division's fall in open-play scoring is largely a London phenomenon, with half of the capital's seven sides netting a minimum of five goals fewer from open-play than last season.

To be fair, this is mainly because their scoring many scores at the start of last season rather than their genuine struggle to find the net in open play the current term.

At the same time Manchester City have experienced the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 scores so far originating in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at clubs that came up with the relegated sides they replaced. Play-off winners the Black Cats have scored three extra goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in their first 11 games on their way to demotion last season.

When it comes to goals scored from dead-ball situations (aside from penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have seen the most significant jump, with each team making up for the reduction of five goals that they've produced in open play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

Manchester United have recorded twice as many scores from set-plays as they managed in the first 11 matches the previous campaign before the manager took over, while Sunderland again are better at netting than the similar-colored team they replaced.

Man City appear not to have received the trend about scoring more from set-plays, as they've recorded three fewer than the previous campaign, like the Reds, although this may result from the altered approach they have tried to implement.

General Tendencies

Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and the Hammers – represent this season's primary examples by recording fewer goals from open play and additional from set-plays, while City represent the sole team to buck the trend to date by achieving the contrary.

It remains to be seen to watch if sides continue to depend greatly on set-pieces as matches continue or if they find again their all-round creativity and commence scoring additional scores in open play also.