St Johnstone vs Arbroath – Match Preview
St Johnstone and Arbroath go head-to-head this weekend in a huge encounter at the top of the Scottish Championship. These sides have met twice already this campaign. St Johnstone won the first encounter 3-0 at McDiarmid Park. Jack Baird, Jason Holt and Stephen Mallan got the goals for the hosts. However, in the most recent meeting, Arbroath won 3-1. Joshua McPake scored for the visitors inside 5 minutes, but Arbroath scored 3 goals in 11 minutes to secure the 3 points. Findlay Marshall scored a brace and Gavin Reilly also got on the scoresheet for Colin Hamilton’s side. St Johnstone come into this fixture off the back of a disappointing 0-0 draw against Ross County in Dingwall, who currently sit bottom of the league. Despite dropping 2 points, Partick Thistle and Arbroath both drew as well, so the Perth outfit remain 5 points clear at the top of the Scottish Championship. In their last outing, Arbroath drew 1-1 at home to Airdrieonians, who sit second bottom. Arbroath broke the deadlock on 66 minutes through Arran Pettifer, but after being reduced to 10-men after Jack Wilkie was sent off with 10 minutes of normal time to go, Lewis Strapp found the equaliser for the visitors. Neither side above Arbroath have gained any ground on them, so as a result, Colin Hamilton’s side remain 4 points behind Partick Thistle in 2nd and 9 points behind their opponents for this weekend St Johnstone. The hosts for this weekend have scored the most goals so far in the Scottish Championship, by a healthy margin. Simo Valakari’s side have found the net 42 times, 12 more than Patrick Thistle who have scored the second most. Arbroath sit 15 behind on 27 goals scored. In terms of goals conceded, St Johnstone have conceded the fewest with 17. The Red Lichties have conceded 24 thus far. St Johnstone forward Joshua McPake is leading the way in terms of goals in the Scottish Championship. The 24-year-old Scotsman has 13 goals in only 19 games and has also provided 2 assists. Arbroath’s top scores so far this campaign is on loan midfielder Findlay Marshall. The 19-year-old Scotsman has made a massive impact in a short period of time. In the league, Marshall has 8 goals and has also provided 2 assists. Jason Holt’s reaction to St Johnston’s draw against Ross County: “We showed a different side to ourselves. It felt like we weren’t as free-flowing or smooth as in previous weeks, but we do need to show different sides to ourselves because no game in this league is going to be the same. “There are times you need to battle and earn the right to play first, which was probably the case on Saturday. “It was a tough game and I thought Ross County battled well. In the second half, I felt we were more in the ascendency and controlled larger spells of the game. “We had a few good chances that, on another day, we could have scored. We’re disappointed not to win the game but, when you strip it back, it could be an important point for us.”
Nancy urges patience amid growing pressure
Wilfried Nancy has indicated that he will need to be given the appropriate time to flourish during recent press conference. Nancy has gotten off to an abysmal start as Celtic boss with only two wins to his name after seven matches, but the Frenchman insists that he has been judged far too quickly. And with another defeat to Motherwell on Tuesday evening, the pressure is building rapidly, and supporters will be quick to express their emotions if they fail to get anything from this weekend’s Old Firm derby. Today, during Nancy’s press conference, which lasted an astonishing 25 minutes, he was clear that the criticism has come thick and fast, but believes there is more to come from his side. He said: “Give me time and you’re going to see what I do. You can already see what I did before because I didn’t start yesterday. I’m going to be a liar if I say, everything is happy, everything is good. No, it’s not the case, but I knew that before. “That’s why I’m calm during all the questions you ask me. I’m not pleased to hear people don’t like me, but they have the right to say it because in terms of results, this is not what we want. Tomorrow is a big game. But the context is that I’ve only had 13 training sessions with my team. Usually, we have four weeks of pre-season. “It’s totally normal that you guys kill me, I’m fine with that because I know where I want to go. Judge me in a few weeks or months. If you want to judge me now, you can do it. I didn’t have the results we wanted; it’s a fact, I cannot deny that.” Nancy’s appointment was made with a long-term plan, but the early weeks of his reign have been far from good enough. He expresses that the lack of time on the training ground has had an impact on how he implements his ideas to the squad. But the visit of rivals Rangers, now feels a must win, and Nancy will know that if he can snatch anything from this fixture it would offer some sort of confidence to himself and the team, while on the other hand a defeat would only add to the pressure on his position.
Dundee sign exciting youngster
Dundee Football Club have completed the signing of 21-year-old forward Joe Bevan, who joins The Dark Blues on a two-and-a-half-year deal from English top flight outfit Burnley. The transfer is subject to international clearance. Joe, who will wear the number 27, has previous experience playing in Scotland. The exciting prospect started his career with Kilsyth Athletic and Camelon Juniors, before going on to sign for Albion Rovers, where he spent two seasons. Following his time in Scotland, Joe joined English side Burnley after a successful trial in January 2024, one year later, the Scotsman remained in England, signing for Carlisle United on loan, where he made 14 appearances. Joe has spent the first half of the 2025/26 campaign playing for the Burnley U21s, where he made 11 appearances and scored 4 goals. Steven Pressley on the signing: “There was a lot of interest in Joe, we had to move quickly to secure him. He’s a player with real high potential, and we feel he has a big future ahead of him. We’re very pleased to have him join the squad, and to work on his development.”
Scotland Striker in Line For January Move
Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes may be headed to Charlton Athletic this month in seek of more game time ahead of this summer’s World Cup. Dykes, currently at Birmingham City where he has not started a match since October, has failed to set himself ahead of ex-Celtic goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi and fan-favourite Jay Stansfield. He will also face fierce competition on the national stage with Che Adams, Lawrence Shankland and Kieron Bowie all vying to be Scotland’s number 9 in America this summer, so game time will be crucial for the Australian-born striker if he wants to compete on the world’s biggest stage. The 30-year-old has featured 48 times under Steve Clarke for the Scottish national side, scoring on ten occasions including the third in Scotland’s 3-1 win over Greece to help qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. The former Livingston man has mostly appeared as a substitute for Chris Davies’ at St. Andrew’s this campaign in the Championship, scoring only twice in 22 games, however he has only played 455 minutes of football. Charlton currently sit 19th in the Championship, three points behind Birmingham in 17th with a game in hand. During the summer window, the Dykes was expected to complete a loan move to Hibernian. However, the transfer fell through on deadline day as the clubs failed to agree a wage split.
Watt’s Rise, Derby Days, and Chasing the Jambos: SPFL Matchday 20 Breakdown
Scottish Premiership football returns for 2026 with an action-packed card on Saturday afternoon. Here are the key talking points to watch out for this weekend. Player to Watch: Elliot Watt Elliot Watt has evolved into a crucial cog in Jens Berthel Askou’s Fir Park machine. Having featured 25 times this term with four goal involvements, the midfielder has emerged as a standout in the Scottish Premiership. Following a loan spell at relegated St Johnstone last season, the former Burton Albion man has flourished for Motherwell, playing with a high level of consistency and maturity. With 2026 now underway, this could be a career-defining year for Watt. While Steve Clarke’s Scotland midfield seems settled, Watt’s current form suggests he could force his way into international contention. As Motherwell host St Mirren on Saturday, Watt will be important for the Steelmen, as they look to reclaim third place. Game of the Round: Celtic vs. Rangers The first domestic fixture of the year sees Scotland’s two powerhouses collide at Celtic Park, yet this episode carries a unique level of wonder, with both clubs in states of transition. Pressure is mounting on Wilfried Nancy. The Celtic boss has endured a chaotic start to his tenure, losing five of his opening seven matches. Despite claiming to see “good stuff” in their recent defeat to Motherwell, Nancy’s side missed the opportunity to move level with leaders Hearts. Conversely, Danny Rohl has steadied the ship at Ibrox. Since his arrival, he has reduced the gap to the summit from 13 points to six. He may have tasted defeat in his first derby during the League Cup semi-final, but a run of just one loss in eleven league matches has reignited a title charge that seemed impossible just months ago. Victory for either manager will be crucial for the remaining months of the season. Team in the Spotlight: Hearts The league leaders return to Tynecastle to host Livingston, desperate to banish the memory of their derby defeat at Easter Road last weekend. Having reached the midway point of the season at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, Derek McInnes will be keen for his side to maintain their challenge in 2026. They face a struggling Livingston side, but will be focused on extending their unbeaten home record. Victory could build further breathing space from the chasing pack, depending on the result at Celtic Park. The home side may be aided by their latest recruit, Spanish right-back Jordi Altena, who officially joined from the Dutch second division on January 1st.
Dundee United vs Dundee Match Preview
The Dundee Derby returns this weekend as Jim Goodwin’s inform Dundee United side take on Steven Pressley’s Dundee side who come into this fixture off the back of back-to-back league wins at Dens Park. The last meeting between these sides came in late August this year at Dens Park, where United won 2-0. Summer signings Sapsford and Dolcek scored the goals to give the visitors all 3 points. Results have been very even in the past 7 meetings, 3 have ended in a draw, Dundee have won 2 and so have Dundee United. Dundee United come into the fixture off the back of a 3-1 win away against bottom of the league Livingston, which now means that they are currently on a run of 5 games unbeaten, 3 draws and 2 wins, which started with a 0-0 draw against high-flying Motherwell, then a 2-1 win against the champions Celtic, a 1-1 draw against David Gray’s Hibernian, a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, and that 3-1 win in Livingston in their last outing. As a result, The Tangerines now sit in 6th place, above Aberdeen in 7th on goal difference, who lost 2-0 at Easter Road in their last outing, and 1 points above Falkirk in 8th, who lost 1-0 at Dens Park in their last match, albeit having played a game more than both. Dundee come into this fixture off the back of back-to-back league wins for the first time under Steven Pressley and for the first time since March 2024, where they beat Aberdeen at Dens Park then went on to beat St Johnstone in Perth. The Dees now sit in 9th position, 1 point ahead of St Mirren in 10th, albeit having played 2 games more, and 6 points ahead of Kilmarnock in 11th. Should Dundee beat Dundee United this weekend, they would move only 3 points behind their city rivals. However, it will be far from easy based on their away form. The Dark Blues have only picked up 3 points on the road this campaign, 3 draws and 7 losses, which is the worst record of any team thus far. Both sides have only kept 3 clean sheets in 20 matches in the league so far, only Livingston have less with 1 in 19. In terms of goals scored in the league, Dundee United have found the net on 28 occasions, whilst Dundee have only found the net 18 times. Only St Mirren, who have scored 16, have scored fewer thus far. Jim Goodwin on Dundee United’s display against Livingston: “I’m delighted with the overall performance. “The result was the most important thing, but from start to finish we were pretty seamless. “Going in at half-time with just a one-goal advantage was disappointing given the dominance we had in the opening period. “This was the first time we’ve started really quickly and kept that performance going for 90 minutes. “That’s the bar that we have to set now. We have to follow that performance up with another really important performance on Saturday. “We know what Saturday means to the supporters.” Steven Pressley’s on Dundee’s win against Kilmarnock: “We played so well in the first half and went in 1-0 down. I said to them in the dressing room ‘there can be no hard luck stories tonight, we need to make sure we get what we deserve from the game’. They reacted brilliantly. “There’s been so much growth in them recently. We had a really good result against Falkirk and coming into this game, I stressed we hadn’t recorded back-to-back victories in 20 months. “We’re nowhere near where we need to be. We’re progressing, showing some positive signs, but football can change so quickly. But tonight was a really significant for us, a monkey off the back with the 20 months, and the players can take a great deal of confidence.”
