Where Has the Excitement Gone? The Drop of Open-Play Goals from Open Play
A major talking point of England's top flight season so far concerns the reduction of goals scored in open-play scenarios and how clubs are netting more from set-pieces instead.
When we compare scoring methods to the first 11 games the prior season, there have been a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, giving us 13 fewer altogether.
Examining overall statistics, the number of shots teams are taking have seen an incredible 370 fewer in open-play than this time previously.
And despite the big increase in set-play finishes, we've actually seen only two additional attempts generated from these situations outside of spot-kicks, demonstrating the efficiency sides are at devising strategies to net from dead-ball situations.
Goal Statistics Show a Story
Over 300 goals notched in the first 110 fixtures to date averages out at 2.74 goals per game, if this persists for the whole season would be the smallest for half a decade, back in 2020-21 (2.69 average).
However, only 196 goals coming in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is on course to be the lowest for 16 seasons, back in 2009-10 (1.76).
2009-10 is also the only Premier League season to experience scoring at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than the current rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).
Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?
In terms of goals scored from open play, Wolves have experienced by far the biggest drop, registering a mere four in 11 matches, 10 fewer than this point last season.
Excluding Wolverhampton, England's top division's drop 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 last season.
To be fair, this is primarily due to them scoring lots of scores at the beginning of the previous campaign rather than them having difficulty to score in open-play this campaign.
Meanwhile Manchester City have recorded the most significant jump, with all but one of their 23 goals to date originating in open play.
Set-Play Proficiency
Comparing newly promoted sides with the teams that went down they replaced. Play-off champions Sunderland have scored three more scores in open play than Southampton managed in their first 11 games en route to demotion the previous campaign.
Regarding scoring from set-pieces (excluding penalties), Arsenal and Chelsea have experienced 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 dead-ball situations.
Man United have scored twice as many goals from set-plays as they achieved in matchday 11 the previous campaign before their coach took over, while the Black Cats once more are better at converting than the club they replaced that went down.
Man City seem unaware of the message about netting additional goals from set-plays, as they've scored three less than last season, like Forest, although that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.
League-Wide Trends
Six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, the Cottagers, the Magpies, Spurs and West Ham – represent this season's top trend-setters by recording fewer goals from open play and more from set-pieces, while Manchester City are the only side to go against the grain to date by doing the complete reverse.
It remains to be seen to watch if sides continue to depend greatly on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they find again their all-round creativity and begin scoring more goals in open play too.
