Are you not being entertained? The decline of the open-play goal

[davieG]

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

One of the biggest stories of the Premier League season so far is the decline of goals scored in open play and how teams have been scoring more from set-pieces instead.

When we compare how goals have been scored to the first 11 games last season, there have been 39 fewer scored in open play and 26 more from team set-pieces and penalties, giving us 13 fewer overall.

If we look at the bigger picture and the number of shots teams are taking, there have been an incredible 370 fewer in open play than at this stage last time out.

And despite the big increase in set-piece goals, there have actually been just two more shots generated from them outside of penalties, showing how effective teams have been at finding ways to score from dead-ball situations.

 

More here including stats - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cm272n4d3e2o

[Stadt]

The general goals per game has been trending upwards for a while so it's probably a bit of a due correction. It makes sense to optimise for set pieces though as you can potentially add 10 net goals a season if you do it well. Most teams struggle to do that with 4 or 5 very good signings.

[Finnegan]

I saw this on the BBC earlier and was so triggered by the butchered headline I couldn't look at the article. 

 

[filbertway]

[brookfox]

In general I find modern football pretty dull. Endless short passes, recycling possession, playing the percentage game on attacks and wingers cutting it back to midfield/defence instead of taking their man on, keepers playing it short etc. Might be exasperated by watching LCFC in recent years but more often than not I sit through games waiting for something to happen as opposed to being entertained. Not sure exactly what it is that's caused it, I'd guess Guardiola, an increased use of data, better coaching meaning even CBs are comfortable on the ball, VAR and video analysis meaning all players are fully briefed.

 

So less about open play goals, but in answer to the original question.... no, I'm generally not entertained!

[Foxdiamond]

On 20/11/2025 at 13:16, brookfox said:

In general I find modern football pretty dull. Endless short passes, recycling possession, playing the percentage game on attacks and wingers cutting it back to midfield/defence instead of taking their man on, keepers playing it short etc. Might be exasperated by watching LCFC in recent years but more often than not I sit through games waiting for something to happen as opposed to being entertained. Not sure exactly what it is that's caused it, I'd guess Guardiola, an increased use of data, better coaching meaning even CBs are comfortable on the ball, VAR and video analysis meaning all players are fully briefed.

 

So less about open play goals, but in answer to the original question.... no, I'm generally not entertained!

I remember Thomas Frank when as a pundit on internationals saying players are discouraged from shooting from distance as the percentage of shots not going in etc and possession lost. Glad Youri wasn't thinking like that back in 2021. Also most of us include picture goals as one of the reasons we love football