Are You Not Being Entertained? This Fall of Open-Play Goal Scoring
A major talking point of the EPL season so far has been the reduction of goals scored in open play and how sides are finding goals increasingly from set-pieces instead.
When we compare scoring methods to the initial 11 matches the prior season, we note a drop of 39 scored in open-play and 26 more from set-plays and penalties, leading to 13 less altogether.
Considering the bigger picture, shot attempts teams are taking have seen a staggering 370 fewer in open-play than this time last season.
Regardless of the big increase in set-piece goals, records show just two more attempts produced from them excluding spot-kicks, showing how effective clubs are at discovering methods to score from set-pieces.
Goal Averages Tell a Story
The 301 goals recorded in 110 games so far averages out at 2.74 goals each match, which if it continued for all 38 games might be the least for five years, since 2020-21 (2.69).
Yet merely 196 scores scored in open play equates to 1.78 per game and is heading to be the smallest for 16 seasons, since 2009-10 (1.76 average).
2009-10 additionally represents the unique EPL campaign to see goals scored more often from dead-balls without spot-kicks than this season's rate of 0.77 per game (0.79 average).
What Clubs Bear the Most Responsibility?
In terms of scoring from open-play, Wolves have experienced the largest decrease, registering a mere four in their first 11 fixtures, a reduction of 10 than this point last season.
Excluding Wolverhampton, the Premier League's decline in open-play scoring is very much a London phenomenon, with five out of the city's seven teams netting five or more goals fewer from open play than the previous year.
Honestly, that's largely down to their scoring numerous goals at the start of the previous campaign rather than them really struggling to score in open play this season.
At the same time Man City have recorded the largest rise, with all but one of their 23 scores this season originating in open play.
Set-Play Proficiency
Comparing newly promoted sides with the teams that went down that they superseded. Sunderland Sunderland have netted three extra scores in open play than Southampton achieved in matchday 11 leading to the drop last season.
Regarding goals scored from dead-ball situations (excluding penalties), Arsenal and the Blues have seen the largest rise, with each team compensating for the reduction of five goals that they've netted in open-play with the same number from set-pieces.
United have netted double the number scores from set-pieces as they did in the 11 games last season before the manager took over, while the Black Cats again prove better at converting than the similar-colored team they replaced.
City don't seem to have got the trend about netting additional goals from set-plays, as they've scored three less than the previous campaign, as have the Reds, even if that might be down to the tactical shift they're working to install.
Overall Patterns
Six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, the Magpies, Tottenham and West Ham – have been the current campaign's leading trend-followers by recording fewer goals from open-play and more from set-pieces, while Manchester City are the unique club to buck the trend up to now by performing the exact opposite.
It will be fascinating to watch if clubs carry on to place such emphasis on set-pieces as the season goes on or if they rediscover their overall inventiveness and start netting increased totals in open play as well.
