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Of the 13 players who scored more than 12 Premier League goals this season, only four of them belong to teams outside of the established "Big Six".
It's a sobering stat for those who claim that England's top-flight is the most competitive in Europe, but it's also slightly misleading. For the most part, strikers are only as good as the quality of their service. That's why renowned poacher Javier Hernandez flourished at the Theatre of Dreams several years ago but has thus far struggled to set the division alight at the much weaker West Ham.
A better way to take the temperature of the Premier League's supposed competitiveness is to ask how many players at clubs seven to 20 would stand a chance of getting a game for the big boys.
A couple of decades ago, you would have struggled to come up with even one name from the bottom half of the table capable of playing regularly for Manchester United, but today the situation is slightly improved. While the Red Devils are much more likely to look abroad for their next superstar signing than they are to go shopping in Watford or Burnley, there are at least a handful of so-called lesser lights who could do a decent job at Old Trafford.
Here are five who fit the bill.
#5 Pascal Groß
If not for Mo Salah, Brighton's Pascal Groß would have been the unanimous choice for this year's signing of the season. The former Ingolstadt all-rounder only cost the club £3m last summer and has already repaid most of it with an impressive eight assists in his 38 Premier League outings to date.
It's not just teeing up his teammates that the German is good at either. He found the net on seven occasions himself, including vital winning goals against West Brom, Watford and Manchester United, without which the Seagulls may not have secured their precious top-flight status for another season.
To cap off his brilliant debut year in English football, Groß was voted his side's Player of the Year at their end-of-year awards ceremony, underlining the positive impression he has made both in the Amex dressing room and among fans who follow their side home and away.
#4 - Gylfi Sigurðsson
Gylfi Sigurðsson's stock has fallen somewhat over the last year or so, largely because of a consensus among fans and pundits that Everton wildly overpaid when they bought his services from Swansea City for £40m in the summer.
That's probably true, but his ensuing struggles at Goodison Park have owed less to any deficiency in his skill set than they have the fact that he has been forced to share his favoured number 10 role with fellow new signing Wayne Rooney.
In better news, long-term managerial target Marco Silva has now been appointed to the Toffees' dugout on a three-year deal. The scatter-gun approach seen on Merseyside at the back-end of last season should be a distant memory come August, with players like Sigurðsson finally able to settle as a result.
#3 - Wilfried Zaha
Like Groß, Wilfried Zaha had an enormous hand in his team staying in the Premier League this season, contributing a career-high nine goals to help Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace stave off the threat of relegation.
In recognition of his superb form, the Ivorian is now being linked with a big-money move to fellow Londoners Tottenham Hotspur, whose forward ranks are noticeably bereft of a tricky winger capable of skipping past opposing full-backs.
After a chastening experience at Manchester United five years ago, however, Zaha's interests may be best served to stay at Selhurst Park, where all of his sides attacking moves pass through him.
#2 - Jamie Vardy
Despite making his Premier League debut at the relatively late age of 27, Vardy has quickly established himself as one of the division's leading marksmen, finding the net 24 times during Leicester City's fairytale 2015-16 season, and a further 20 this term.
Not only that, but the ex-Fleetwood Town man now commands a regular spot in the England national side, with many pundits calling for Gareth Southgate to change to a two-striker system in order to accommodate both him and Harry Kane.
What makes Vardy so good isn't exactly a secret. As well as being super quick, he's also got a great nose for finding a yard of space behind the opposing defensive line. Combine that with ice-cold composure, and it's little wonder he keeps scoring goals at the King Power Stadium.
#1 - Riyad Mahrez
If recent reports are to be believed, it is only for a precious few extra days that Leicester City fans will be able to lay claim to the two best Premier League players outside the Big Six. While Vardy appears to be staying put, his partner in crime Riyad Mahrez is purportedly set for a move to the Etihad.
Until then, though, he's undoubtedly the division's "best of the rest", even if his attitude last season, after his employers rebuffed interest from City in January, at times left a lot to be desired.
Set that aside and Mahrez is basically the full package. He's blessed with great pace, his first touch is up there with just about anyone in European football, and he's got a useful Arjen Robben-like ability to bend balls with his left foot into the far corner of the goal.
It's no wonder that Pep Guardiola is so keen on bringing the Algerian up to England's north-west, where he will add another layer of depth to an already fearsome City front-line.
