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One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far concerns the drop of goals scored in open play and how teams have been scoring increasingly from set-plays as an alternative.

When we compare goal sources to the initial 11 matches last season, we see a drop of 39 scored in open play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and spot-kicks, resulting in 13 fewer altogether.

Considering overall statistics, shot attempts sides are producing have seen an incredible 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last season.

Regardless of the big increase in set-play finishes, we've actually seen just two more shots generated from them excluding spot-kicks, showing the efficiency teams are at finding ways to score from dead-ball chances.

Scoring Rates Reveal the Tale

301 total goals recorded in 110 games to date calculates at 2.74 scores per game, if this persists for all 38 games might be the smallest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 per game).

But just 196 scores coming in open play equates to 1.78 each match and is on course to be the smallest for since 2009-10, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).

That campaign is also the only Premier League campaign to witness goals scored at a higher rate from non-penalty set-pieces than this season's rate of 0.77 per fixture (0.79).

Which Teams Are Most Responsible?

When it comes to goals scored from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the largest drop, netting just four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than this point last season.

Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's fall in open play goals is very much a trend among London clubs, with five of the London's seven clubs netting at least five less scores from open play than the prior season.

Honestly, this is mainly because them netting lots of scores at the beginning of last season instead of them really struggling to score in open play this campaign.

Conversely Man City have recorded the largest rise, with nearly all of the 23 they've scored so far coming in open play.

Set-Piece Success

Comparing clubs that came up with those that were relegated they replaced. Play-off winners Sunderland have netted an additional three goals in open-play than the Saints achieved in matchday 11 en route to relegation the previous campaign.

In terms of goals scored from set-plays (aside from penalties), the Gunners and the Blues have experienced the most significant jump, with both sides making up for the reduction of five goals that they've produced in open-play with an equal amount from set-pieces.

Man United have scored twice as many scores from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games last season before the manager took over, while Sunderland additionally have been better at scoring than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.

City seem unaware of the trend about netting additional goals from set-plays, as they've scored a reduction of three than the previous campaign, similar to Nottingham Forest, although that might be down to the change in style they're working to install.

League-Wide Trends

Six sides – Arsenal, the Blues, the Cottagers, Newcastle, Tottenham and the Hammers – have been this season's leading trend-followers by scoring fewer scores from open-play and increased from set-plays, while Man City represent the only side to go against the grain up to now by achieving the contrary.

It will be interesting to watch if teams carry on to place such emphasis on set-pieces as matches continue or if they find again their general attacking flair and begin netting more goals in open play as well.