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A major talking point of England's top flight this campaign is the drop of goals scored in open-play scenarios and the way sides are netting more from set-pieces instead.

Looking at scoring methods to matchday 11 the prior season, we note 39 fewer scored in open-play and an increase of 26 from set-plays and penalties, resulting in 13 less overall.

Examining the bigger picture, shot attempts teams are taking have seen an incredible drop of 370 in open play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the big increase in set-play finishes, there have actually been a mere two extra attempts created from them excluding penalties, showing the proficiency clubs have been at devising strategies to net from dead-ball chances.

Goal Averages Tell an Interesting Narrative

The 301 goals scored in 110 games to date averages out at 2.74 goals each match, which if it continued for all 38 games might be the smallest for half a decade, from five seasons ago (2.69).

Yet merely 196 scores scored in open play averages out 1.78 per game and is on course to be the lowest for 16 seasons, from 16 years ago (1.76).

The 2009-10 season is also the only Premier League campaign to see goals scored at a higher rate from set-plays excluding penalties than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 per game (0.79 per game).

Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?

In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded by far the biggest decline, netting a mere four in 11 games, 10 less than this point last season.

Apart from Wolves, the EPL's fall in open-play scoring is predominantly a London thing, with five out of the city's seven teams netting a minimum of five fewer goals from open-play than the previous year.

Honestly, this is primarily due to them scoring lots of goals at the start of the previous campaign as opposed to their genuine struggle to score in open play this season.

At the same time Manchester City have recorded the largest rise, with nearly all of the 23 they've scored to date originating in open-play.

Set-Piece Success

Looking at newly promoted sides with those that were relegated they took the place of. Play-off winners Sunderland have recorded three more scores in open play than Southampton achieved in their first 11 games leading to relegation last season.

In terms of goals scored from set-pieces (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have seen the most significant jump, with both sides making up for the five less scores that they've scored in open-play with identical figures from dead-ball chances.

United have scored double the number goals from set-plays as they managed in the 11 games the previous campaign ahead of their coach took charge, while the Black Cats once more prove more successful at converting than the club they replaced that went down.

Man City appear not to have received the memo about increasing scoring from set-plays, as they've recorded a reduction of three than the previous campaign, like Nottingham Forest, though that might be down to the change in style they've attempted to adopt.

Overall Patterns

Six clubs – the Gunners, the Blues, Fulham, the Magpies, Spurs and the Hammers – have been the current campaign's top trend-setters by netting less goals from open play and more from set-pieces, while Man City represent the only side to defy the pattern so far by achieving the complete reverse.

It will be interesting to observe if sides persist to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the campaign progresses or if they regain their overall inventiveness and start scoring additional scores in open-play too.