Some home advantage restored, 37 more passes a game… but STILL a lack of first-half goals! A look at the latest stats as Premier League players try to adapt to life without fans in top flight

The second round of Premier League fixtures after the restart saw an increase in home advantage as players begin to adapt to post-lockdown life without supporters.

Sportsmail is here to take an in-depth look at the stats following the second round of games since the top-flight returned, and it appears the players are getting a little more used to playing in front of empty stands.

While the first 10 games saw just 27 per cent home wins, it has now risen to 42 per cent after 24 matches, a number almost in line with pre-lockdown’s 45 per cent.

One thing that is still abundantly clear though, is that first-half action still leaves a lot to be desired, with just 29 per cent of goals scored in the opening 45 minutes, compared to 46 per cent pre-lockdown.

Fouls are still higher than average this month – although they have settled slightly – while the second round of fixtures saw players play an average of 37 more passes a game than the first weekend.

This suggests the players are beginning to get used to their surroundings, with home teams enjoying more success and playing the ball around more freely.

One perhaps surprising statistic comes in the form of ‘ball in play time’. You would expect there to be less stoppages with no crowd, but it has actually been the exact opposite.

Since the restart, the ball has been in play for an average of 54 minutes and 42 seconds in each game, compared to 55 minutes and 55 seconds pre-lockdown.