Celtic now sit eleven points ahead of Rangers after beating Hearts 4-1 at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership.
With Aberdeen and Rangers’ results going Celtic’s way before the late kick-off in Edinburgh, Brendan Rodgers knew that a victory over Hearts would open up an even bigger gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Celtic’s 4-1 win at Hearts now means the Bhoys sit three points clear of Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen after their 2-1 defeat at St Mirren.
The victory also means that Rodgers is now 11 points ahead of Philippe Clement’s Rangers after they dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox against Dundee United.
And when asked if he understands why Rangers fans have now given up on the title, Clement makes an admission about the gap from Celtic with a little bit of wishful thinking for the season ahead.
Philippe Clement admits there is a ‘big’ gap between Celtic and Rangers
Clement told the Daily Record, “Fans can think what they want. That is their right also. I never give up if something is not possible.
“I see also what I see in the second half and everybody also sees what I see in the second half. We need that level much more over the next couple of months and take many more points.
“Of course, it’s a big gap and you don’t know how many points other teams will lose along the way.
“But we need to get more points. And you see also, if you play like we played in the second half then we will get more points.
“But we need to put that as a standard as the team, for everybody, that’s what I said in the dressing room.”
If Clement is hoping Celtic can effectively lose four games this season and Rangers go unbeaten, then the Ibrox boss is living in a fantasy land.
Whilst nothing is impossible, this Celtic team does look unstoppable now, especially with the strength in depth that Rodgers has built within his squad.
How Celtic can effectively end Rangers’ season before February
Celtic’s fixture schedule is fast becoming bust and hectic as Brendan Rodgers looks to defend his title and make progress in the Champions League.
However, it’s domestically that Celtic could end Rangers’ season as Clement’s side continues to struggle.
The League Cup final against Rangers is in just over three weeks time. Win that and Rodgers can add another Glasgow Derby notch to his belt and heap more pressure on the Belgian.
After that, the next time Celtic face Rangers is at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership. Another win on the south side of Glasgow would (if both teams win their games up to then) put Celtic 14 points ahead of the Ibrox club.
That lead would be insurmountable and with the Scottish Cup left to play for, there is no guarantee that Rangers would have the stomach to even fight for that.
At this early stage of the season, the Celtic supporters are flying high as the agony keeps piling on the Rangers fans.
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