Scottish Premiership: The season in six charts

The start of the Scottish Premiership season is less than a week away, but what lies in wait when hostilities resume?

BBC Scotland has pulled together six charts that give a flavour of what to expect over the next 10 months... assuming, of course, that this season does reach a conclusion.

Closing the chasms

Unless you have quantum leaped here from 1976, you should be aware Celtic are on the hunt for their 10th title on the bounce. Predictably, all eyes will fall on Rangers to be the ones to stop them.

Can Steven Gerrard's side do it? According to the numbers, they have a fair job on their hands. When last season was brought to a premature end, Rangers were 13 points behind their city rivals. The year before, the gap was nine. And nine again the season before that.

If that looks like a tall order, so is the prospect of any side other than the Old Firm finishing in the top two. Last term, Motherwell were 21 points behind second place, a figure that has steadily risen over the past three campaigns.

Take Stephen Robinson's side as an example. Improving their home form will be critical if they are not just wanting to keep hold of their top-three spot but also reel in either Rangers or Celtic.

Last season, the Lanarkshire side only won seven out of 15 games at Fir Park, four behind Rangers, who played one fewer game on their own patch.

A lot is also made of the advantage given to teams who play on artificial pitches, but this isn't always the case. While Livingston had the third-best home record in the league last term, with eight wins at the Tony Macaroni Arena, Kilmarnock only won 23 points out of 45 at Rugby Park - and Hamilton Academical 15 from 48 at FOYS Stadium.

Edouard, Morelos or Defoe?

A battle raged throughout last season over who was the better striker, Alfredo Morelos or Odsonne Edouard? Well, it may actually be Jermain Defoe...

Even though Celtic's Edouard netted 22 goals - nine more than Defoe - the Rangers striker was far more productive based on goals per 90 minutes. On average, the veteran England striker found the net once every 77 minutes, with Edouard doing so every 96.

It is understandable, then, that Gerrard will be sweating over Defoe's fitness after he hobbled off against Motherwell last Wednesday.

The Accies effect

Despite operating with one of the lowest budgets in the league, Hamilton have survived continual pre-season predictions of relegation over the past five seasons.

In 2015-16, they accrued 1.13 points per game - 43 points - to secure their safety. Every year since that tally has been lower, with 10 fewer required in 2017-18 and 2018-19 to avoid either relegation or a place in the play-offs.

Is that the magic number Brian Rice and his side will be shooting for again this term?

Want to be a record breaker?

Celtic shooting for 10-in-a-row is history-making enough, but what if others want in on the action?

Here is a list of accolades that clubs will both be delighted to snag and also be desperate to avoid.

Crowded house...

We all know fans will not be allowed through the turnstiles for the foreseeable future, but there are already indicators that crowds will be coming back in big numbers.

Clubs have sold thousands of tickets, with some even outselling last season's tally by this point.

Last season's average attendance took a slight dip but may well have kept the recent upward trend going if an exciting climax to the campaign had been allowed to reach its conclusion.

According to Transfermarkt, stadiums were filled to an average of 62% across last season. Celtic Park and Ibrox were the busiest grounds in the top flight, with 95.3% and 96.6% of seats taken up.

Meanwhile, Kilmarnock's Rugby Park was only 32.3% full, with an average attendance of 5,856 across 15 home games.