Scottish Premiership title race: What we learned f...

4 groups within the title race and three factors separating the highest three – this was a weekend on the prime of the Scottish Premiership that swung the race in direction of a ‘race to the wire’ contest.

Celtic’s dramatic restoration from 2-0 all the way down to a 3-2 win away at Kilmarnock ramped up the strain on Rangers and Hearts forward of their Ibrox conflict – and the strain confirmed as either side took half in a ding-dong six-goal thriller.

Rangers’ 4-2 win over Hearts has now created a two-point hole between the highest two – with Celtic three factors off the summit with a recreation in hand.

However don’t forget Motherwell in all of this – as their eight-game successful run has put them ten factors behind Hearts with a recreation in hand. It is not not possible…

So after this weekend – the place can we stand? Sky Sports activities’ soccer reporters look by means of every staff’s principal speaking factors…

Hearts nonetheless in a terrific place regardless of loss

Since Christmas, Hearts have misplaced to Hibernian, didn’t beat 10-man Celtic, misplaced to St Mirren and now crushed at Ibrox. One other huge recreation that Derek McInnes’ aspect have didn’t win because the expectation has risen.

However regardless of a second loss in three video games, Hearts are nonetheless in a improbable place in the meanwhile.

At the beginning, they’ve two residence video games to answer this in opposition to Falkirk and Aberdeen – that are beneficial for a aspect presently hurting from an energy-sapping loss at Rangers.

However crucially, that second recreation in opposition to Aberdeen comes forward of the Outdated Agency derby at Ibrox, the place one thing has to provide when it comes to the Glasgow rivals’ probabilities.

Sure, defeat to Rangers has opened up the title race and Hearts’ dominance of this season seems weak. Nevertheless it’s value remembering Celtic are closely reliant on late winners – together with in opposition to second-bottom Kilmarnock on Sunday. Rangers are struggling to get back-to-back wins. They’re nonetheless in a terrific spot.
Sam Blitz

Celtic left it late, very late, once more!

For the third consecutive recreation in simply eight days, Martin O’Neill’s Celtic had been rescued in injury-time.

It has been a function of many nice title-winning Celtic sides for years. Even in latest historical past, assume again to Matt O’Riley v Motherwell (2023), Girogos Giakoumakis v St Johnstone (2022), and even Anthony Ralston v Ross County (2021).

All objectives the place on the time we stated would show essential within the title race. Objectives that make champions.

However this 12 months is totally different, and these late winners really will make a distinction. The league is not any canter this 12 months – it is fairly the other, and Celtic have the essential ingredient of successful expertise.

They’ve a core of serial winners, who know nothing however success: Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest to call a couple of.

However a ‘successful mentality’ will solely take you up to now. The efficiency ranges within the first half had been as soon as once more extraordinarily alarming.

O’Neill admitted: “I do not assume you may preserve that going.” You are proper, Martin. Some critically robust video games arising, and you may’t be bailed out in of all of them in stoppage-time.
Adam Binnie

Rangers hearth again from the brink to roar once more in a title race like no different

Rangers followers may very well be forgiven for pondering they’d seen this film earlier than. New supervisor goes on a successful run after shambolic goings-on had threatened to derail the season, just for these revitalised outcomes to crumble in clutch moments.

Dropping factors within the ultimate minutes to Motherwell in midweek after Hearts and Celtic had scored late winners may have seen Rangers revert to the kind of latest occasions. As an alternative, an enormous win over the league leaders on Sunday places them inside touching distance of the summit – even when enormous challenges lie in wait.

Underneath Danny Rohl, Rangers have minimize the hole to Hearts from 13 factors to only two. That in itself is sort of the achievement given simply how dangerous the Ibrox aspect had been earlier than the German took over.

Rohl refuses to get too up or too down, irrespective of the consequence. As followers had been nonetheless leaving Ibrox on Sunday night he informed Sky Sports activities that he was already serious about one other huge recreation subsequent week at Livingston. One recreation at a time is perhaps a cliché nevertheless it’s the mantra that noticed Steven Gerrard ship Rangers’ final title in 2021.

Derek McInnes made the purpose that Rangers will nonetheless have to return to Tynecastle. Hearts will likely be licking their lips on the prospect of two league Outdated Agency fixtures, whereas matches in opposition to the likes of Falkirk, Hibernian and Motherwell have been something however easy for Rangers this season.

The reality is, this doubtless is not a marketing campaign which sees a Brendan Rodgers, Gerrard or Ange Postecoglou aspect devour all earlier than them. Factors will likely be dropped; there will likely be twists and turns and the highest six will doubtless be of such a high quality that the post-split fixtures may very well be among the many most intriguing now we have seen for years.

If there was any doubt earlier than this weekend – now we have a tantalising title race. An precise, correct, title race. And, because of a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick, Rangers are very a lot part of it.
Allan Valente

Time to take Motherwell critically

Possibly we have been billing this incorrectly all alongside.

Some Motherwell followers, even some Motherwell gamers, will let you know there are 4 groups on this title battle, not three.

High-scorer Tawanda Maswanise informed me on Thursday: “Be careful for us.” JT, I am watching.

Jens Berthel Askou’s aspect gained once more immediately, beating Aberdeen 2-0 at residence. They continue to be unbeaten in seven matches in 2026 and have solely misplaced as soon as of their final 18 league video games.

The shape desk would let you know that they are each bit pretty much as good as Danny Rohl’s revitalised Rangers – who’re the one staff to attain a purpose at Fir Park since October.

With a semi-favourable run of fixtures on the horizon, we may very well be taking a look at a fourth power come the cut up.

This is not the outdated cliché of ‘they cannot win the title, however they could have a say in who does.’ A win of their recreation in hand would take them to inside seven factors of the league leaders…
Adam Binnie