Where Has the Excitement Gone? This Drop of Open-Play Goal Scoring
One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far concerns the reduction of goals scored in open play and how clubs have been scoring more from dead-ball situations as an alternative.
When we compare goal sources to the first 11 games last season, we see 39 fewer scored in open play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 less altogether.
Considering the bigger picture, the number of shots clubs are making reveal a remarkable drop of 370 in open-play than at this stage last season.
Even with the big increase in set-play finishes, there have actually been only two additional shots produced from them excluding penalties, indicating the proficiency teams have been at finding ways to net from dead-ball situations.
Goal Statistics Show a Story
The 301 goals recorded in 110 matches so far calculates at nearly 2.75 goals each match, if maintained for the whole season might be the lowest for five years, from five seasons ago (2.69 average).
However, only 196 scores coming in open-play equates to 1.78 per fixture and is heading to be the least for 16 seasons, back in 2009-10 (1.76 per game).
The 2009-10 season is also the sole English top-flight campaign to experience goals scored more frequently from non-penalty set-pieces than this campaign's frequency of 0.77 each match (0.79 per game).
Which Sides Bear the Most Responsibility?
Regarding scoring from open play, Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded the most significant drop, netting just four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than at this stage the previous campaign.
Apart from Wolverhampton, the Premier League's fall in open-play scoring is largely a London thing, with half of the city's seven teams recording five or more fewer goals from open-play than the prior season.
Honestly, this is primarily due to their scoring numerous scores at the start of last season rather than their genuine struggle to convert in open play this season.
At the same time Man City have experienced the most significant jump, with nearly all of their 23 goals this season arriving in open play.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Comparing the promoted teams with those that were relegated they took the place of. Play-off champions the Black Cats have netted three more scores in open play than the Saints achieved in their opening 11 matches leading to demotion the previous campaign.
In terms of scoring from dead-ball situations (not counting spot-kicks), the Gunners and Chelsea have experienced the biggest increase, with the two clubs replacing the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open play with identical figures from dead-ball situations.
United have scored two times more scores from set-pieces as they managed in matchday 11 the previous campaign prior to their coach assumed control, while the Black Cats once more have been better at converting than the fellow red-and-whites that went down.
Man City don't seem to have got the message about scoring more from set-pieces, as they've recorded three less than last season, similar to the Reds, although this may result from the change in style they have tried to implement.
League-Wide Trends
Six clubs – the Gunners, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Spurs and the Hammers – are this term's leading trend-followers by netting less goals from open-play and additional from set-pieces, while Man City are the unique club to defy the pattern up to now by achieving the complete reverse.
It will be interesting to observe if sides continue to rely so heavily on set-plays as matches continue or if they find again their all-round creativity and commence converting more goals in open play as well.
