Celtic’s win over Hearts has now put some clear daylight at the top of the Scottish Premiership after results elsewhere went their way.
Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys eventually stormed to a 4-1 Tynecastle win after a slow first-half performance meant that both teams went in at the break on a stalemate.
However, in a much-improved second-half performance, Celtic took control of the game and four goals in 45 minutes helped seal an emphatic in what has traditionally been a difficult place to get a result.
But it was events elsewhere that Martin O’Neill says made Celtic’s win in Edinburgh all the sweeter as his old club now sits two points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Martin O’Neill hails ‘really terrific’ Aberdeen and Rangers results after Celtic’s Hearts win
Speaking at full-time the legendary former Celtic boss praised what was a ‘great couple of hours’ for the Parkhead club as Aberdeen lost at St Mirren and Rangers drew at Ibrox with Dundee United.
O’Neill told Sky Sports, “Well, it’s a great couple of hours for Celtic with Aberdeen losing and Rangers drawing at home and Celtic winning away at Tynecastle. Really terrific.
“First half. I thought Hearts did well, but we mentioned at halftime we didn’t need encyclopaedic knowledge to know that Celtic would create chances in the second half of the game.
“Hearts ran out of steam, but obviously, eventually they looked like a side that was struggling. Really just couldn’t get a chance to make it 2-1 in the game as well. A big, big chance for them and they couldn’t take that one.
“A side that has got really no confidence, if you’re not scoring enough goals, and they certainly haven’t. We mentioned it before they’ve only scored five from open play this season. That’s incredibly bad
“And it was a struggle for them in the second half. They tried to take a couple of risks and Celtic were going through them towards the end. But it’s as if it’s a struggle for them all season.
“As for Celtic, a great away performance in the second half. And what a way to line up for the Champions League game coming up midweek.”
With Aberdeen up on the 4th of December, Celtic could be out of sight in the league if Brendan Rodgers can negotiate a win up at Pittodrie.
Five of Celtic’s best Tynecastle wins vs Hearts under Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers has faced Hearts 19 times in his two spells as Celtic boss. The Northern Irishman has won 14, drew one and lost four.
Celtic have recorded impressive wins over the years against Hearts so here are the best five Rodgers has masterminded over the capital club:
- 07.08.2016: Heart of Midlothian 1 v 2 Celtic. Rodgers’ first trip to Edinburgh and first game as Celtic boss with James Forrest and a late Scott Sinclair winner starting the Invincibles season.
- 02.04.2017: Heart of Midlothian 0 v 5 Celtic. Second trip to Edinburgh and goals from Stuart Armstrong, Patrick Roberts and a Scott Sinclair hat trick seal the rout.
- 06.05.2018: Heart of Midlothian 1 v 3 Celtic. Coming from behind to a Kyle Lafferty strike, Dedryck Boyata, Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair seal the three points.
- 22.10.2023: Heart of Midlothian 1 v Celtic 4. Celtic open up a seven-point gap at the top of the league with goals from Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Tomoki Iwata.
- 23.11.2024: Heart of Midlothian 1 v 4 Celtic. Another dominant performance in the capital as Kyogo strikes again along with Nicolas Kuhn and an Adam Idah double.
Yesterday’s win makes it two out of two for Celtic against Hearts as their unbeaten start to the Scottish Premiership season continues.
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