Are You Not Being Entertained? The Decline of the Goal Scoring
A key narrative of the EPL this campaign is the reduction of scoring in open-play scenarios and how clubs are finding goals more from set-pieces instead.
Comparing scoring methods to the first 11 games last season, there have been 39 fewer goals in open play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, leading to 13 less overall.
Considering the broader view, the number of shots teams are taking show an incredible 370 fewer in open-play than this time last season.
Regardless of the significant rise in set-piece goals, records show only two additional shots produced from these situations excluding penalties, indicating the proficiency teams have been at finding ways to score from set-pieces.
Goal Averages Tell the Tale
301 total goals scored in 110 games up to now calculates at nearly 2.75 goals each match, if this persists for the whole season might be the smallest for five years, back in 2020-21 (2.69 per game).
But just 196 scores scored in open-play translates to 1.78 per game and is tracking to be the lowest for 16 years, back in 2009-10 (1.76).
That campaign is also the only Premier League campaign to see scoring at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this season's rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).
Which Sides Are Most Responsible?
When it comes to goals scored from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the most significant decrease, registering only four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage the previous campaign.
Apart from Wolves, the EPL's fall in open play goals is predominantly a London phenomenon, with five of the London's seven clubs recording five or more goals fewer from open-play than last season.
In fairness, this is primarily due to their scoring numerous goals at the start of last season rather than their genuine struggle to score in open play the current term.
Conversely City have experienced the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 goals to date coming in open play.
Set-Play Proficiency
We've compared clubs that came up with the teams that went down they took the place of. Play-off champions Sunderland have recorded three extra goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in their first 11 games on their way to the drop last season.
Regarding scoring from dead-ball situations (aside from spot-kicks), Arsenal and the Blues have recorded the biggest increase, with both sides replacing the five less goals that they've netted in open-play with the same number from set-pieces.
Man United have netted double the number scores from set-plays as they did in matchday 11 last season before their coach took over, while the Black Cats additionally have been more effective at converting than the fellow red-and-whites they superseded.
City appear not to have received the trend about increasing scoring from set-pieces, because they've netted a reduction of three than last season, like Forest, even if this may result from the change in style they're working to install.
League-Wide Trends
Six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham – have been this season's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer goals from open-play and increased from set-plays, while City are the unique club to defy the pattern so far by performing the exact opposite.
It will be interesting to observe if sides persist to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they regain their general attacking flair and commence netting more goals in open-play too.
