Port injectors are normally pretty quiet.  I don't know how loud the direct injection injectors are suppose to be.  My 2024 does seem noisy to someone who has never had direct injection, and kinda matches the ticking sound and frequency like in vincents video, just not as loud.  I dont know how I missed that when I was buying the car.   I did not pick up on it until about few months ago when I raised the hood, and it seemed a lot louder then, maybe because it was the fist time hearing it.   Vincent... look between the two wiring labels (the top label has K17 on it), there is something that looks like a oil "bubbling" between the intake manifold, head and valve cover.  Is that an illusion?      

2019 2.0 didn't get the engine cover, but all seem to still have the hood insulating pad. I think 2020 both were deleted.   You have some of the attachment points for the engine cover.   With the change to the location of the oil fill and dipstick for the 2019+ engine, the Ford engine cover is difficult to find for your 2019+ (I don't think they made one). The Lincoln badged one seems easier to source. There is a stud and a ball top that replaces a regular stud on the engine for one of the attachment points.   Personally I think it helps a bit with the loud clacky high pressure direct injection injectors and pump. I left it off of my 2016 MKZ, and while it is subtle, there is more clacking, but it isn't silent (nor is it all that loud).

Are you sure what you are hearing is not just the fuel injectors?

STbeast.... where did you buy it?  aftermarket or Ford?   I feel the blanket would keep some engine heat off the hood, maybe preserving the paint in the long run. maybe, maybe not??  The hood does look naked without it.  

My 2021 ST did not come with an engine cover or a hood insulator blanket. Looked kind of funny with both of them missing. I did not buy the engine cover but I did buy the hood insulator blanket and installed it myself. It came with the attachment clips and looks so much better. Not sure how much it helps with noise.  Never followed up on the engine cover but it does look like a cover from an earlier year will work  

in another post about clattering noise, I did not want to hijack the thread with my own questions.  So....   1004ron... you mentioned in that post "Is this one of the models where Ford did away with the aesthetic / acoustic cover?'   I thought this might explain why I dont have an engine cover.  But then I assumed you are only joking... you are joking, right?   My 2024 does not have one.   I do see on mine what looks like cover attachment points.  Does it hurt anything to not have it on?   Was its purpose to cover up all the ugliness?  Mine also does not have any underhood sound deadening insulation.  Is it supposed to?  It's a 2024 with only 27k miles when I bought it.  It is odd both piece are not there.      

Are you still looking into this?

@Iroga did you buy an OEM harness and plug as well as the light? I have a light with backing plate on the way, but need to find a plug or wiring diagram for the 3 pins on the light itself. Thanks

Read through most of this thread. I recently acquired a 2019 Edge Titanium that exhibits the same stumble and stutter under feather light acceleration up to about 35 MPH. From what I have read in this thread it seems there are multiple possibilities. I will read through this thread again and see if I can come up with Step 1: unplug DPFE sensor and check driveability, Step 2.... and so on.   I have some other things to discuss with the place I bought it from, but that is another post...   If I drove like i did 30 years ago, I may have never noticed the problem. But under light acceleration, yup, the stumbles and stutters are there.

My advice would be to use a reliable scanner like Forscan as a first step in the diagnostics, and monitor the O2 and fuel trim data.