Rangers 2-0 Aberdeen: Rohl’s Men overcome Managerless Dons to move Second

Rangers 2-0 Aberdeen Fernandez (11′). Raskin (41′) First-half headers from Emmanuel Fernandez and Nico Raskin secured a fourth straight league win for Rangers, as they continue their climb towards the summit of the Scottish Premiership. The home side, inspired by their derby day victory over Celtic, started on the front foot, looking to leapfrog their fierce rivals into second place. Former Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron almost capitalised on a Dimitar Mitov mistake in the opening minutes, but could not direct his strike on goal from James Tavernier’s free-kick. The lead arrived in the 10th minute thanks to Emmanuel Fernandez. The defender added his fifth goal of the season after leaping to convert Barron’s inswinging corner kick. Mitov claimed to be handled by Mikey Moore, but Nick Walsh quickly confirmed the opener. Despite the routine start for the hosts, Kenan Bilalovic discovered a golden chance to strike level. Nicky Devlin’s hopeful ball split the Rangers’ backline, allowing Bilalovic to stride towards Jack Butland’s goal. But a poor touch from the Swede gave the goalkeeper precious time to gather. Danny Rohl’s side reestablished their dominance, with half-chances for Barron and derby hero Mikey Moore, but Bilalovic would have yet another golden opportunity on the half-hour mark. Kevin Nisbet dispossessed Nico Raskin, and after racing toward goal, he squared to his fellow attacker. Once more, the Swede was unable to sort his feet, and the chance slipped away. Mitov was alert to tip Tavernier’s whipping free kick over the bar as the game trickled towards halftime. Rangers had enjoyed plenty of possession since the Fernandez header, but were unable to fashion clear-cut chances throughout the first period. That was until Raskin converted Barron’s latest delivery in the 40th minute. The Belgian midfielder darted towards the front post from the right-sided corner and headed across Mitov to double the Gers’ advantage. A frustrating end to the half for interim Aberdeen boss Peter Leven, whose side had disappointingly conceded from almost identical set pieces. Raskin should have converted another set piece, this time from Tavernier, with seconds to play in the half. But it was so far so good for Rohl’s rejuvenated side. Rangers continued to control the game in a comfortable second-half display. The incoming Thelo Aasgaard tested Mitov with a left-footed strike as the clock ticked towards the hour mark. Beforehand, Tavernier had jinked away from Graeme Shinnie on the edge of the box, but his right-footed strike rose over the bar. Jack Butland had to be alert to tip Nisbet’s looping header around the post in a rare Aberdeen attack, before Dante Polvara headed over from the resultant corner. With ten minutes to play, Mitov produced a tremendous finger-tip save from Raskin’s darting 20-yard strike, which looked set to ripple the side-netting. Victory secured 2nd spot for Rangers, who will meet managerless Aberdeen again next Sunday in the league. It remains to be seen if the Dons will have their man or if Leven will still be in the dugout. Rangers: Butland 7 Tavernier 7 Souttar 7 Fernandez 8 Meghoma 7 Barron 9 Raskin 9 Diomande 7 Gassama 7 Chermiti 6 Moore 7 Substitutes: Aasgaard 6 Miovski 6 Sterling 6 Aarons 4 Danilo 4 Aberdeen: Mitov 4 Devlin 5 Milne 6 Knoester 5 Gyamfi 5 Shinnie 5 Kjartansson 5 Polvara 5 Armstrong 6 Bilalovic 3 Nisbet 5 Substitutes: Lazetic 4 Clarkson 4 Karlsson 4 Jensen 3 Keskinen 3

SNN Journalist’s Midseason Scottish Premiership Awards

With the Scottish Premiership season ticking over the halfway mark, our team of journalists looked at their current standouts from this unpredictable campaign. Signing of the Season Mack Kelly – Alexandros Kyziridis: It is out of him and Braga realistically, but for the same reasons mentioned above, I just think Kyziridis looks a better football player than Braga, despite the G/A complimenting Braga more.  Craig Baigrie – Elijah Just: A both player and signing of the season, he scores important goals. Offers pace and direct play that helps drive Motherwell forward, and his adaptation to Scottish football is very impressive. Rhys Livingstone – Alexandros Kyzridis Cameron Caldwell – Stuart Findlay: The former Kilmarnock man has formed a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back Craig Halkett, not to mention his four league goals, including a late winner at Tannadice, and opener against Rangers. Declan Tumblety – Josh Mulligan: Hibernian getting him on a free could go down as one of the best bits of business for years to come in this league; they look a completely different side when he’s in and out of the team. Hibs have been crying out for a John McGinn replacement ever since he left, and they might’ve just found him – until they sell Mulligan for millions and have to look again. Liam Smith – Claudio Braga   Manager of the Season Mack Kelly – Jens Berthel Askou: Nobody expected Motherwell to do as well as they did, even when results weren’t going his way, you could see what he was trying to implement, and the steel men are reaping the rewards from that just now. Craig Baigrie – Derek McInnes: as manager of the season because of the consistency of results from Hearts. In the 40 years where only Old Firm teams have won the league, there’s been next to no serious competition from other clubs, but this is the first genuine title push for many years outside Rangers and Celtic Rhys Livingstone – Jens Berthel Askou Cameron Caldwell – Jens Berthel Askou: From their opening day draw against Rangers, the progression that the Danish manager has installed has been mightily impressive. He is working on a smaller budget compared to his rival managers and has improved stalwarts such as Stephen O’Donnell and Paul McGinn. Simply – Askou will not be at the Fir Park for long. Declan Tumblety – Jens Berthel Askou: Derek McInnes narrowly misses out here, but JBA has taken Motherwell from bottom-six regulars to a side people genuinely fear to come up against. An outstanding appointment where it looks unlikely he will remain in Lanarkshire for long. Liam Smith – Jens Berthel Askou   Team of the Season Mack Kelly – Motherwell: seems incredulous not to award it to Hearts despite them being 6 ahead, but I actually think they should be further ahead, as mad as that sounds, due to the state of Celtic and Rangers and their results against them, as for Motherwell, they made a semi-final, albeit the result was embarrassing, and could leapfrog Celtic and Rangers themselves. JBA is pulling up trees with a lesser squad, and if they can keep him, the sky is the limit going forward, despite their limited resources Craig Baigrie – Hearts: From the analytics and the smart signings to how well the team has been able to gel together, the improvement of players already there, especially Cammy Devlin, is huge. Rhys Livingstone – Hearts Cameron Caldwell – Motherwell: Between the Jambos and the Steelmen, for me, I edge towards Motherwell because of their lesser budget and tremendous style of play. Declan Tumblety – Hearts: It really pains me to write that as a Hibs fan, but we’re into the new year now and they’re still top of the league. Whilst I still don’t think they’ll go all the way, they raise the question with every week that passes now. It’s absurd that a team outside of Glasgow is six points clear in January. Liam Smith – Motherwell   Player of the Season Mack Kelly – Alexandros Kyziridis: He is such an exciting player to watch and a massive cog in Hearts’ title push, always looking to make stuff happen and is such a dynamic asset. Craig Baigrie – Elijah Just Rhys Livingstone – Alexandros Kyzridis Cameron Caldwell – Alexandros Kyzridis: He is the difference maker in that Hearts XI, and has produced several key moments already this season (late Livingston winner, cross for Findlay’s goal vs Rangers). If McInnes’s side wins the league, the Greek winger will be a huge influence. Declan Tumblety – Lawrence Shankland: The current top scorer and captain of the league leaders. He looks back to his best after what seemed to be a blip last season Liam Smith – Tawanda Maswanhise

Martin O’Neill in as Celtic begin post-Nancy reset

The Celtic great oversaw the team just a matter of weeks before bowing out for Wilfried Nancy is now back in charge. Martin O’ Neill is just off the back of leading the Champions to seven wins from eight matches before Wilfried Nancy’s appointment. And after a complete disaster from the Frenchman, with six defeats in eight, the Celtic hierarchy had no choice but to pull the plug and sack him and the Sporting Director, Paul Tisdale, from their duties. After O’ Neill’s spell as interim manager just a few weeks ago, he said: “The reception I got was fantastic. My backroom staff have been sensational, but the game is still about players. “They’ve turned up and won the matches. We’ve had a number of injuries, and players have stepped up to the plate every single time. I’ve had the time of my life over the last five weeks. It’s five or six weeks that I will never ever forget” Celtic’s season has been one to forget so far, and with Nancy becoming the latest casualty, his departure felt inevitable as the supporters’ frustration was continuing to grow. However, this left pressure on the Celtic board to get the next appointment correct and get back to winning ways. With a packed fixture list approaching, Celtic had no room for any more errors or experiments, and the board have gone down the route of experience to steady the ship as they did after Brendan Rodgers’s departure. With O’ Neill’s attachment to the club already, considering the demands of what it takes to be Celtic boss, it made him the obvious candidate to come in and calm everything down. However, Celtic must now turn their attention to their next league fixture as the club’s search for a new manager comes to an end, with Martin O’Neill appointed to the role.

Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen: Dominant Bairns Shoot into Top Six

Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen Lissah (58′) Filip Lissah’s second-half header secured a deserved home victory for the Bairns against a passive Aberdeen side, who were unable to register a shot on target. The home side dominated large spells of the first half. Liam Henderson pounced on a Jack Milne pass just minutes in, and after feeding Calvin Millar on the left, he headed the resultant cross into Dimitar Mitov’s hands. The move set the tone for a one-sided first half, with Aberdeen looking increasingly fragile at the back. The visitors nearly registered an opening shortly after. Kenan Bilalovic, awarded with his first start, latched onto Jesper Karlsson’s forward pass, but his low delivery evaded Kevin Nisbet in the six-yard box. Henderson won a promising free kick for the Bairns after 9 minutes. Miller stepped up, whipping a dangerous left-footed strike, which looked set to finish in the bottom corner, but Mitov turned behind. Brad Spencer tested Mitov from the edge of the box after 12 minutes, as the home side continued their search for the opener. Falkirk’s dominance was largely down to the midfield pivot of Spencer and Dylan Tait, who had equal space and time to control proceedings from the centre of the park. The visiting support filled out the away section, and the sea of red voiced their disapproval of this passive performance. Spencer pounced on another slack ball from the visitors on the 20-minute mark, but Barney Stewart pushed his curling effort over the bar. Next, it was Miller’s turn to drive at the heart of the Dons’ defence three minutes later. He found Kyrell Wilson on the left edge of the box, who cut inside and struck from the edge of the box. Mitov momentarily tipped the effort into the air, but gathered the ball to keep the score goalless. Falkirk should have been ahead close to halftime. Another dangerous Spencer corner was dropped kindly for Miller in the box. From ten yards, the midfielder could not get his head over the ball as his strike sailed into the stands. The final chance of the half dropped to the visitors, Nisbet’s wayward strike drifted high into the Kevin McAllister Stand after a long Mitov ball. The Dons remained level as John Beaton blew his whistle for halftime, but would need vast improvements if they were to pick up a result. The Bairns finally found the breakthrough on the hour mark. Filip Lissah rose in the six-yard box to head home a left-sided set piece. The goal warranted the hosts’ positive display, delighting their large contingent of supporters. Nisbet nearly connected with Topi Keskinen’s low cross from the right moments later, after sensational skill from substitute Sivert Nilsen. The duo linked again in the 68th minute, with the striker’s header looking destined to nestle inside Scott Bain’s post. Thankfully for the hosts, the effort bounced off the post and trickled wide, maintaining their slender advantage. The hosts wrestled back control of the game and nearly sealed the game with mere minutes to play. Substitute Henry Cartwright drove at the Aberdeen defence, unleashing a low 25-yard strike which cannoned off the post and behind. Victory moves Falkirk into the top six, marking a perfect start to their 2026 campaign. They travel to Paisley to face a struggling St Mirren side next weekend. Jimmy Thelin and his Aberdeen side berated their side’s poor performance at full-time. A quick turnaround sees them travel to Ibrox on Tuesday evening, ahead of a double header with Rangers. Falkirk: Bain 8 Lissah 8 Allan 7 Henderson 9 McCann 8 Tait 8 Spencer 8 Yeats 8 Wilson 7 Miller 8 Stewart 7 Substitutes: Ross 7 Graham 6 Williams 6 Agyeman 6 Cartwright 6 Aberdeen: Mitov 6 Lobban 5 Knoester 6 Milne 6 Shinnie 4 Aouchiche 3 Armstrong 5 Bilalovic 4 Karlsson 5 Keskinen 5 Nisbet 5 Substitutes: Nilson 5 Polvara 5 Devlin 4 Milanovic 4 Lazetic 4

Hibernian 3-2 Hearts: Hibs survive late comeback to secure victory in derby thriller

Hibernian 3-2 Hearts McGrath (3′)  Campbell (45′)  Bowie (48′)  Shankland (75′)  Devlin (89′) Hibs held off a late Hearts comeback to secure bragging rights in the Edinburgh Derby in a pulsating game of Scottish Premiership action. Hibs burst into life after two minutes. A sweeping Nicky Cadden delivery from the left was poked home by McGrath from the penalty spot, giving David Gray a dream start The strike invigorated the home side and their noisy support base. Alexander Schwolow easily gathered Kieron Bowie’s dipping strike from the edge of the box as they looked. for a second. The visitors seemed startled from their opponent’s electric start, epitomised by Oisin McEntee, who let a simple pass roll off his foot, and out for a Hibs throw. Lawrence Shankland went close to levelling proceedings after meeting Stephen Kingsley’s deep cross, but his cushioned header across goal narrowly missed Raphael Sallinger’s right post. McEntee glanced at Kingsley’s next delivery from a promising free-kick position wide as they continued to grow into the game. Hibs reestablished a foothold in the match and doubled their lead on the halftime mark. Clever play by McGrath saw him beat McEntee on the Hibs left. His left-footed cross from the byline was glanced across the goal by substitute Josh Campbell, nestling in the bottom corner. There had been pre-match chants of “we shall not be moved” by the travelling contingent, but at the moment, they certainly looked shaken. McInnes demanded a reaction from his side, making a double change for the second half. The calm presence of Beni Baningime and the wide threat of Harry Milne were introduced as they searched for a way back. But they were caught out defensively three minutes after the restart. Mulligan charged down Stuart Findlay’s clearance, allowing Bowie to poke the ball past Craig Halkett on the edge of the box, and curl a left-footed strike into Schwolow’s far post. The Scottish striker had missed a golden chance moments earlier, but his latest effort may have been the final nail in the coffin for the league leaders. Hibs were brimming with confidence and nearly added a 4th. Mulligan marauded towards the goal after pinching the ball from Stuart Findlay, but his shot sailed wide when perhaps he should have squared. Hearts had a mountain to climb, but McInnes continued to encourage his men. The Jambos rescued a point from a 3-0 deficit against Motherwell in August, offering a glimmer of hope to the travelling support. Alexandros Kyziridis had endured a quiet afternoon, but burst into life in the 67th minute. After cutting in from the left, he delivered a curling right-foot strike which Sallinger beat away. Shankland pulled one back for Hearts in the 77th minute after glancing home a Kyzridis cross. The header was 10th of the season, and may have sparked a late comeback for the visitors. Substitute Sabah Kerjota’s inswinging cross curled narrowly wide of the far post as they searched for a second goal. Cammy Devlin added Hearts’ second with two minutes to play. Sallinger could only palm Kyziridis’ strike into the path of the Australian midfielder, who rolled home from close range. They looked destined to level proceedings moments later. Kyziridis continued to pose a danger to the Hibs backline. After beating a Hibs jersey on the left, he drilled a low cross for Shankland to stab towards goal. But Sallinger was alert, making up for his earlier blunder with a point-blank save. Hibs held on to secure the three points, bouncing back from their derby defeat in October. It was a gripping contest, and the perfect way for David Gray and his side to round out 2025. Hibernian: Sallinger 6 O’Hora 7 Hanley 7 Iredale 8 Megwa 7 Barlaser 7 Mulligan 9 N Cadden 7 McGrath 9 Boyle 8 Bowie 8 Substitutes: Campbell 6 Newell 6 C Cadden 6 Klidje 6 Hearts: Schwolow 6 Steinwender 5 Halkett 5 Findlay 5 Kingsley 6 McEntee 4 Devlin 6 Magnusson 6 Kyziridis 6 Braga 5 Shankland 6 Substitutes: Milne 6 Baningime 6 Kabangu 6 Kerjota 6

“It’s an honour to be involved in these games” – Stuart Findlay

In the cauldron of Tynecastle Park, it was the calm head of Stuart Findlay that sent the Jambos on their way to back-to-back wins over rivals Rangers, and for the Hearts defender, the latest victory is a “testament” to the hard work of his teammates and manager. Speaking to the media at full-time, Findlay was “satisfied” with his side’s 12th league win of the season. “We knew how much was on the game today. There was no getting away from that. Rangers have been slowly chipping away with wins every week, and we knew they were going to be a difficult game. They’ve not lost an away game in over a year. We were under no illusions about how hard it was going to be.” “I thought we weathered the first 10, 15 minutes, they came out, probably the better side to start with. But we knew we would get our moments. Thankfully, I was able to pop up with the header and then Shanks does what Shanks does” Derek McInnes’s side have won three straight games, after a winless run had reduced their lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership. Findlay believes the performances hint at the “mentality” of the squad. “We thrive in big games. I think we’ve shown that in all the big games so far, we’ve managed to show up with the performances to beat Celtic home and away, to beat Rangers home and away. It’s not easy to do, no matter what Celtic Rangers are going to show up. And it’s a testament to the boys in there that we’ve been able to do that. “We believe in ourselves, that’s a big thing. We come into these games with pure belief that we can get the victory”. Findlay was quick to point out the work ethic of his teammates, including another exemplary performance from captain Lawrence Shankland. “You’ve seen Lawrence lose the ball at the top end of the pitch and come back and make a tackle in the final third. You’ve got a midfield three of Cammy, Oisin, and Thomas, who will cover every blade for you. There wasn’t a guy on the park today who was a passenger. Every single person stood up and was counted. I’m so proud of all the boys in there.” Whispers of a title charge continue to gather pace for the Jambos, but Stuart advised that the dressing room refuse to be drawn into such talk. “We’ve reached the expectations of the fans by winning the majority of the games. I can’t stress enough that’s what we need to just keep doing. We just need to keep looking ahead to the next game.” “The title thing, as I said 100 times, I’ll let other people talk about that. We just want to make sure we have dusted that one off, and now it’s a massive Derby that we need to try and get another win.” High-performing partnerships are plentiful across the Hearts team. But perhaps none more effective than Findlay and Craig Halkett, who missed the game through injury. “Craig’s been an absolutely huge part for us this season. We were all sort of gutted that he couldn’t make it today. The boys did him proud, and we got a really good result.” “He was delighted for me (for scoring). As soon as I went in, he was the first guy who came up to me.” The Jambos return to league action at Easter Road on Saturday, in another formidable test for Derek McInnes’ side.

Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester Utd: Villans tighten grip on third after Rogers double

Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United Rogers (45′, 57′)     Cunha (45+3′) Morgan Rogers continued his sensational individual form as Aston Villa secured a 10th consecutive win in all competitions, edging out Manchester United at Villa Park. Despite Unai Emery’s side struggling to find their usual rhythm, Rogers provided the clinical edge. On the stroke of halftime, the Englishman cut inside to bend a curling effort into the far corner. The visitors briefly found a route back into the game when Matheus Cunha pounced on a Matty Cash blunder to level the scores, but the level score was short-lived. Rogers isolated Leny Yoro for the second time in the match moments later, mirroring his first-half strike with a nearly identical curled finish over Senne Lammens. The brace takes Rogers’ tally to six goals in his last six league appearances. In the opposing dugout, the pressure intensified for Ruben Amorim. Already hampered by a depleted squad, his plans were thrown into further disarray when Kobbie Mainoo withdrew with a calf injury during the warm-up. The misery was compounded just before the break when talisman Bruno Fernandes pulled up with a suspected hamstring tear. The withdrawal of the Portuguese star is worrying for his manager, whose side is looking perilously thin heading into the festive period. Victory extends Villa’s grasp on third place to 7 points over nearest rivals Chelsea, for United, they slip to two wins in eight games, in what has been an inconsistent run for Ruben Amorim’s side. Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen (Digne 75′) Kamara (Bogarde 88′) Onana (Buendia 84′) McGinn (Guessand 84′) Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins (Malen 75′) Manchester United: Lammens, Yoro (Lacey 84′) Heaven, Shaw, Dalot, Ugarte (Zirkzee 73′) Fernandes (Martinez 46′)  Dorgu, Mount, Cunha, Sesko (Fletcher 73′)

Hearts 2-1 Rangers: quickfire double seals third straight win for Jambos

Hearts 2-1 Rangers Findlay (38′)  Shankland (42′)  Chermiti (90+5′) Hearts produced a powerful first-half performance to hand Danny Rohl his first league defeat as Rangers manager, and extend their lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership. The game started frantically, but neither side was able to test their opposing goalkeepers in a drab opening nine minutes. That was until James Tavernier’s inswinging corner, which was prodded home by Bojan Miovski at the far post. The away supporters’ celebrations were eventually ruled out, with the Macedonian striker marginally offside from the set piece. Despite the disallowed goal, Rangers had settled well in the Tynecastle cauldron, keen to extend their unbeaten domestic streak under Danny Rohl’s guidance. Alexandros Kyziridis burst into life in the 17th minute. After collecting Michael Steinwender pass, he marauded infield from the right wing. His left-footed curler from 20 yards had pace, but narrowly curled wide of Jack Butland’s right post. Rangers looked dangerous from another set piece moments later, Tavernier was the architect, but his looping free kick was headed wayward by the incoming Nicolas Raskin. Alexander Schwolow tipped Mikey Moore’s right-footed strike after beating his man moments later, as the visitors continued to pose a threat. Hearts clicked into life shortly after. Top goalscorers Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland linked in the centre of the park, before releasing Kyziridis in an advanced area. His driven cross from the right had no takers, but it was the Jambos’ best move of the half so far. Derek McInnes carved out the opening goal in the 37th minute. Braga linked with Kyziridis from a corner kick, whose delivery was powered home by the towering Stuart Findlay. The centre back has been a crucial component of the Jambos’ season, and his 5th league goal invigorated the home side. The second goal arrived four minutes later, courtesy of their captain. Claudio Braga nodded through to Lawrence Shankland after another free-kick, who drilled past Jack Butland at his near post: a quickfire double, and another statement of intent from the league leaders. The second half struggled to replicate the frenetic energy of the first 45, with clear-cut chances proving rare in the opening exchanges. Lawrence Shankland should have put the game to bed on the hour mark, but he could only sidefoot wide from inside the area after another mazy run from Kyziridis. Rangers began to see more of the ball in advanced areas, yet they lacked the killer instinct required to test Schwolow truly. That frustration was epitomised in the 64th minute when Djeidi Gassama failed to connect with a teasing back-post cross, leaving the visitors searching for answers. By committing men forward, Rangers inevitably left gaps for Hearts to exploit. Shankland looked certain to grab his second and Hearts’ third in the 68th minute following a lightning counter-attack, but Jack Butland reacted brilliantly to smother his right-footed strike. The Rangers keeper was called into action again moments later, safely gathering Frankie Kent’s tame header to keep his side in the contest. Desperate for a breakthrough, Danny Rohl turned to his bench for the final 15 minutes, introducing Danilo for Miovski. The substitute nearly made an immediate impact from the edge of the box, seeing his deflected strike whistle past the post, before Emmanuel Fernandez flashed a header wide from the resulting corner. As the clock ticked down, Hearts naturally retreated into a defensive shell, desperate to protect their clean sheet and two-goal cushion. Despite a late consolation strike from Youssef Chermiti, the damage was done, handing Rohl his first league defeat as Rangers manager. The victory momentarily pushes the Jambos nine points clear of Celtic and preserves their unbeaten league record at Tynecastle. The high-stakes fixtures show no sign of slowing down for Hearts, ahead of a massive trip to Easter Road for the second Edinburgh Derby of the season. Hearts: Schwolow 8 Steinwender 7 Kent 8 Findlay 9 Kingsley 8 Devlin 9 McEntee 8 Kyziridis 9 Magnusson 7 Braga 7 Shankland 9 Substitutes: Forrest 6 Baningime 6 Kerjota 4 McCart 4 Kabangu 2 Rangers: Butland 6 Aarons 6 Tavernier 5 Sterling 4 Fernandez 6 Meghoma 4 Barron 5 Raskin 5 Diomande 4 Moore 5 Miovski 4 Substitutes: Chermiti 4 Gassama 4 Danilo 3 Aasgaard 3

McInnes insists “No Pressure” on Hearts ahead of Christmas cracker

League leaders Hearts will sit at the summit of the Scottish Premiership on Christmas for the first time since 1991, and victory over Rangers would deliver an early present for the Gorgie faithful on Sunday afternoon. Derek McInnes has enjoyed a stunning start to his Tynecastle tenure. Under his guidance, Hearts have surged to a six-point lead over Celtic, suffering just a single defeat in seventeen matches. While talk of a genuine title charge now dominates the conversation, McInnes remains focused on the process, urging his side to simply “keep improving” despite their dominant start. “The motivation has to keep getting better and stronger. We’ve got to understand that the longer we’re up there, there’s a bit more on these games against Hearts at the minute.” Impressive away victories over Falkirk and Celtic had broken Hearts’ four-match winless run, and reextended their lead to six points. McInnes insists there is “no pressure” on his side, as they look to extend their unbeaten home record. I’m enjoying where we are. You’ve got to enjoy this, and I keep saying to the players, ‘You’ve done so well to get here’. “We have to understand that we’ve done a lot right to get to where we’re at, and we have to do so much more to keep us there. The other pressures and things, I actually think we’re all quite relaxed about it.” “So at the moment, I don’t think there is pressure on anybody at the club. We’re all just enjoying what we’re doing.” Rangers present the next test on Sunday. Despite a tumultuous start to the campaign, the Ibrox side has found a rhythm under new boss Danny Rohl, securing an impressive 20 points from a possible 24. The visitors will also take confidence from Rangers’ impressive record at Tynecastle, remaining unbeaten there since February 2020. McInnes acknowledged the turnaround that Rohl has engineered since taking the helm. “Rangers have managed to navigate some tough games and get some decent results since Danny has come in, and credit to him for that. I think it’s 20 points out of 24, which is good shooting and just spoke out there about how difficult it is to get consistency in the Premier League with how tight it all is” From the Rangers team that we played early in the season, Russell’s team were far more possession-based and try to dominate. We’re probably playing against a different Rangers team in terms of approach, but it is working for them at the minute.” However, Hearts have shone against the Glasgow giants on every occasion this season, with back-to-back victories over Celtic and a maiden Ibrox victory since 2014. McInnes motivates his side to keep getting “stronger” as the campaign progresses. “We’ve got to understand that the longer we’re up there, there’s a bit more on these games against Hearts at the minute.” “There’s been a lot of high-profile games recently. Every game seems to be bigger than the next one. Sell-out at Celtic Park, sell-out at Falkirk, sell-out Sunday, sell-out at the Edinburgh derby, sell-out at the home game against Livingston. These are brilliant games to be involved in. “We’re exactly where we want to be in terms of that. For us to maintain it, we have to acknowledge that individually, we need to improve as players. As a team, we’re going to have to keep improving. That goes without saying.” Follow SNN Sports across all socials for the ultimate pre- and post-match breakdown of Sunday’s Tynecastle showdown.

Dundee Utd 2-1 Celtic: Sapsford Magic Heaps Further Pressure on Nancy

Dundee United 2-1 Celtic Keresztes (58′)  Sapsford (61′)  Maeda (13′) A second-half capitulation at Tannadice saw Celtic fall to a spirited Dundee United comeback, leaving Wilfried Nancy winless after four games in charge. The visitors posed a constant threat in a frantic first half, clearly eager to banish their Cup final demons and secure a first win for Wilfried Nancy. The pressure began in the 4th minute when Luke McCowan released Daizen Maeda down the right. Yang Hyun-Jun stretched to meet the winger’s low cross at the back post, but he couldn’t direct his effort on target. Callum McGregor scooped a clever ball into Maeda’s path moments later, only for Johnny Kenny to fire his lobbed attempt over the bar. Celtic’s persistence paid off in the 12th minute. After capitalising on sloppy play by the hosts, Auston Trusty fed Kenny in front of the United defence. The striker quickly released the electric Maeda on the left side of the area, and after rounding Bert Esselink, his left-footed strike found the bottom corner of Dave Richards’ goal. It was Maeda’s fourth goal in six league matches, and it rewarded Celtic’s blistering start. Unlike their agonising defeat to St Mirren on Sunday, Nancy’s side played here with total conviction. Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United are now winless in seven league matches, and struggled to match Celtic’s relentless tenacity. The hosts offered little early on, with Amar Fatah’s wayward strike from the edge of the box their only half-chance in the opening 20 minutes. Celtic nearly doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Kenny raced clear of the United defence. However, his hesitation in front of the goal allowed Esselink to recover and clear the danger. United finally settled after the half-hour mark and nearly found an equaliser. A long throw-in fell to Esselink on the edge of the area, Max Watters redirected his scuffed shot, but the on-loan Barnsley striker’s touch trickled narrowly wide. The reprieve was short-lived, as Celtic sliced through the United defence again moments later. Maeda continued to haunt Goodwin’s side, latching onto a Hatate through ball and firing a low cross into the path of Kenny. It looked easier to score than miss, but the Irishman scuffed his effort wide. It was another major let-off for the hosts; Celtic should have been out of sight. In a complete reversal of the first half, it was Dundee United who flew out of the blocks. Zac Sapsford’s right-footed strike was blocked early on after Luca Stephenson capitalised on slack play from the Celtic midfield. Kasper Schmeichel was forced into action in the 50th minute, staying alert to deny Sapsford’s low drive after the ball broke to the Australian in a congested penalty area. However, the equaliser finally arrived seven minutes later. Ross Graham did well to keep Ferry’s cross alive at the back post, allowing Krisztian Keresztes to provide a clinical finish across Schmeichel and into the far corner. The roof blew off Tannadice on the hour mark thanks to a moment of individual brilliance. For the second time in minutes, Celtic failed to clear the danger at the back post, and Sapsford whipped a vicious right-footed strike beyond the outstretched grasp of Schmeichel. It was the Australians’ fifth goal of the season, and triggered a chorus of “sack the board” chants from the frustrated travelling support. The sheer intensity of Goodwin’s side appeared to have startled Celtic. The home side eventually retreated into a defensive shape, desperate to protect their slender advantage. Wilfried Nancy turned to his bench, handing a rare opportunity to Shin Yamada, who blazed wide of Dave Richards’ goal in the 75th minute. It was a golden chance for the Japanese striker, who should have carried the ball closer to Richards’ goal. Celtic’s best opportunity to level came in the 82nd minute. James Forrest flashed a teasing cross into the six-yard box for Maeda, but from only a yard out, the winger could only steer his header off the post. Nancy’s side continued to huff and puff, but were unable to cut into United’s lead. Benjamin Nygren’s free kick was off target in additional time, for their final opportunity of the match. The defeat leaves the Scottish Champions six points behind league leaders Hearts, but they still have one game in hand over their rivals. Dundee United’s first win in eight matches leaves them in 8th place, and they host Hibernian on Saturday afternoon. Dundee United: Richards 8 Keresztes 8 Graham 9 Esselink 8 Strain 7 Stephenson 7 Sibbald 7 Ferry 8 Sapsford 8 Watters 6 Fatah 7 Substitutes: Sevelj 7 Moller 7 Dolcek 7 Celtic: Schmeichel 5 Ralston 5 Trusty 5 Tierney 5 McCowan 6 McGregor 6 Hatate 6 Yang 4 Bernardo 5 Maeda 6 Kenny 3 Substitutes: Engels 4 Yamada 3 Forrest 4 Scales 4 Nygren 4