Many points to tackle here.
Teams' quality from open play regressed; opponents defended better; reliance on dead ball increased.
Manchester United is an outlier here, I think, because there wasn't a level below that one in the 2024/25 season. So, it was highly likely that a team with the quality added would improve, plus how United plays and how opponents defend against them must be taken into consideration, and the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes.
Source: CannonStats
