🔗 Share this article Are You Not Being Entertained? The Decline of Open-Play Goal Scoring Wolves have scored a decrease of 10 goals from open-play situations compared to at this stage the previous campaign. One of the biggest stories of the EPL this campaign is the reduction of goals scored in open play and the way sides have been scoring increasingly from dead-ball situations as an alternative. Looking at scoring methods to the first 11 games the prior season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from team set-pieces and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 less altogether. Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making have seen a remarkable 370 fewer in open-play than at this stage last time out. Regardless of the big increase in set-piece goals, records show a mere two extra shots created from these situations outside of penalties, demonstrating how effective clubs have been at devising strategies to score from dead-ball chances. Scoring Rates Tell a Story 301 total goals notched in the first 110 fixtures so far averages out at nearly 2.75 goals each match, which if it continued for all 38 games might be the lowest for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69). Yet merely 196 goals coming in open-play translates to 1.78 each match and is tracking to be the least for 16 years, since 2009-10 (1.76 per game). That campaign is also the unique EPL season to see scoring more often from set-plays excluding penalties than the current rate of 0.77 per game (0.79). What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility? When it comes to scoring from open play, Wolves have seen the largest drop, netting just four in 11 games, a reduction of 10 than this point last season. Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's decline in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with half of the capital's seven sides scoring a minimum of five less scores from open-play than the previous year. Honestly, this is primarily due to their scoring lots of scores at the early stages of the previous campaign rather than their genuine struggle to convert in open play the current term. Meanwhile Manchester City have seen the biggest increase, with almost every one of their 23 goals to date arriving in open-play. Set-Piece Success Looking at clubs that came up with the relegated sides that they superseded. Play-off champions the Black Cats have recorded an additional three scores in open-play than the Saints did in their first 11 games leading to relegation last season. Regarding goals scored from set-pieces (not counting penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have seen the biggest increase, with each team compensating for the reduction of five scores that they've scored in open play with the same number from set-pieces. Man United have recorded double the number scores from set-plays as they achieved in the 11 games last season prior to their coach took charge, while the Black Cats additionally prove more effective at scoring than the club they replaced that went down. Man City seem unaware of the message about netting additional goals from set-pieces, since they've recorded three fewer than last season, like the Reds, though this may result from the change in style they're working to install. Overall Patterns Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – are this term's leading trend-followers by netting less scores from open play and additional from set-plays, while Man City are the only side to buck the trend so far by achieving the exact opposite. It will be fascinating to watch if sides continue to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and commence scoring more goals in open play too.