Celtic star asked to ‘step up in pressure moments’ repaid Brendan Rodgers’ faith vs Motherwell

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Brendan Rodgers is bound to be a happy man after his Celtic side saw off Motherwell 4-0 in their penultimate Scottish Premiership match of 2024.

The Bhoys had to encounter a stubborn visiting defence in the opening 45 minutes before Arne Engels fired home from the spot to break the deadlock.

Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate put the seal on a comfortable victory for Celtic against Motherwell to extend their lead over Rangers at the Scottish Premiership summit to 12 points.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	CelticCeltic	17	15	2	0	48	4	44	47
2	RangersRangers	17	11	2	4	29	11	18	35
3	AberdeenAberdeen	18	10	4	4	31	25	6	34
4	Dundee UtdDundee Utd	18	7	7	4	27	20	7	28

With the Glasgow Derby fast approaching, Brendan Rodgers has decisions to make over who will make the cut for his starting line-up over the next week. St Johnstone are first up on Sunday before the trip to Ibrox.

Evaluating proceedings on Boxing Day, the Irishman may feel one man has made a compelling case to retain his place for both matches following his display against the Steelmen.

Arne Engels repaid Brendan Rodgers’ faith against Motherwell

Starting in the engine room, Engels enjoyed one of his best displays in a Celtic jersey against Motherwell. He got on the scoresheet to take his tally to a respectable 12 goal contributions in 23 games for the club, but that was far from the only takeaway concerning his performance.

Stat-trackers Fotmob provide context, illustrating that the Belgium international was a constant presence at both ends of the field. Notably, he created four chances, while the 21-year-old completed 41 of his 45 attempted passes (91%) and took on four shots.

Nine of his touches came in the opposition area, demonstrating a willingness to break the lines when allowed to roam from the number eight position. Often, he took up a berth on the right-hand side, which enabled the Dendermonde-born man to float in three successful deliveries.

Defensively, Engels also chimed in when needed, winning five duels and making three recoveries to thwart the opposition.

What Brendan Rodgers said about Engels’ display vs Motherwell

Speaking post-match, Brendan Rodgers hailed Engels’ display against Motherwell, claiming that when the Belgian is ‘asked to step up in pressure moments’ for Celtic, he usually delivers.

He stated: “I just think it’s about time with him. He’s really enjoying his time here. I’ve taken him out for some games just to let him see from the outside looking in and take that pressure away from him because it’s a big move and everything that comes with it. 

“But he’s been excellent in training and he’s only going to get better and better. When he’s asked to step up in pressure moments, he delivers and that was an important first penalty for us.”

Engels has faced unwarranted criticism over the last few weeks, but there is definitely signs that he is starting to really show what he is made of in midfield after his £11 million move from Augsburg.