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 stress on Rangers and Hearts forward of their Ibrox conflict – and the stress 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 sport in hand.
However don’t forget Motherwell in all of this – as their eight-game profitable run has put them ten factors behind Hearts with a sport in hand. It is not unattainable…
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership conflict between Kilmarnock and Celtic.
So after this weekend – the place will we stand? Sky Sports activities’ soccer reporters look by means of every group’s major speaking factors…
Hearts nonetheless in an incredible place regardless of loss
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Hearts.
Since Christmas, Hearts have misplaced to Hibernian, didn’t beat 10-man Celtic, misplaced to St Mirren and now overwhelmed at Ibrox. One other huge sport that Derek McInnes’ facet have didn’t win for the reason that expectation has risen.
However regardless of a second loss in three video games, Hearts are nonetheless in a unbelievable place in the intervening time.
Firstly, they’ve two dwelling video games to reply to this in opposition to Falkirk and Aberdeen – that are beneficial for a facet at the moment hurting from an energy-sapping loss at Rangers.
However crucially, that second sport in opposition to Aberdeen comes forward of the Outdated Agency derby at Ibrox, the place one thing has to present when it comes to the Glasgow rivals’ probabilities.
Sure, defeat to Rangers has opened up the title race and Hearts’ dominance of this season appears to be like susceptible. Nevertheless it’s price 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 an incredible spot.
Sam Blitz
Celtic left it late, very late, once more!
Julian Araujo scores a 97th-minute winner for Celtic of their Scottish Premiership conflict at Kilmarnock.
For the third consecutive sport 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 current historical past, suppose again to Matt O’Riley v Motherwell (2023), Girogos Giakoumakis v St Johnstone (2022), and even Anthony Ralston v Ross County (2021).
All targets the place on the time we mentioned would show essential within the title race. Targets that make champions.
However this yr is completely different, and these late winners really will make a distinction. The league is not any canter this yr – it is fairly the alternative, and Celtic have the essential ingredient of profitable 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 ‘profitable mentality’ will solely take you to this point. The efficiency ranges within the first half had been as soon as once more extraordinarily alarming.
Celtic supervisor Martin O’Neill urged warning after Celtic’s last-minute winner at Kilmarnock.
O’Neill admitted: “I do not suppose you’ll be able to maintain that going.” You are proper, Martin. Some severely robust video games arising, and you may’t be bailed out in of all of them in stoppage-time.
Adam Binnie
Rangers fireplace again from the brink to roar once more in a title race like no different
Rangers followers may very well be forgiven for pondering that they had seen this film earlier than. New supervisor goes on a profitable 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 last minutes to Motherwell in midweek after Hearts and Celtic had scored late winners may have seen Rangers revert to the kind of current occasions. As a substitute, a giant win over the league leaders on Sunday places them inside touching distance of the summit – even when enormous challenges lie in wait.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl says his facet confirmed huge persona to win the match over Hearts and praised his striker Youssef Chermiti for repaying his religion with netting a hat-trick.
Beneath Danny Rohl, Rangers have minimize the hole to Hearts from 13 factors to only two. That in itself is kind of the achievement given simply how unhealthy the Ibrox facet had been earlier than the German took over.
Rohl refuses to get too up or too down, irrespective of the outcome. As followers had been nonetheless leaving Ibrox on Sunday night he instructed Sky Sports activities that he was already desirous about one other huge sport subsequent week at Livingston. One sport at a time may be 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 might 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 simple for Rangers this season.
The reality is, this doubtless is not a marketing campaign which sees a Brendan Rodgers, Gerrard or Ange Postecoglou facet devour all earlier than them. Factors might be dropped; there might be twists and turns and the highest six will doubtless be of such a top quality that the post-split fixtures may very well be among the many most intriguing we now have seen for years.
If there was any doubt earlier than this weekend – we now have a tantalising title race. An precise, correct, title race. And, due to a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick, Rangers are very a lot part of it.
Allan Valente
Time to take Motherwell severely
Perhaps we have been billing this incorrectly all alongside.
Some Motherwell followers, even some Motherwell gamers, will inform you there are 4 groups on this title battle, not three.
Prime-scorer Tawanda Maswanise instructed me on Thursday: “Be careful for us.” JT, I am watching.
Jens Berthel Askou’s facet gained once more immediately, beating Aberdeen 2-0 at dwelling. 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 inform you that they are each bit nearly as good as Danny Rohl’s revitalised Rangers – who’re the one group to attain a objective at Fir Park since October.
Motherwell are at the moment on an eight-game unbeaten run
With a semi-favourable run of fixtures on the horizon, we may very well be taking a look at a fourth pressure come the cut up.
This is not the previous cliché of ‘they cannot win the title, however they might have a say in who does.’ A win of their sport in hand would take them to inside seven factors of the league leaders…
Adam Binnie
