Martin O’Neill makes winning return as Celtic thrash Dundee United

Normal service resumed at Celtic Park as champions Celtic secured a dominant 4-0 win over Dundee United and their first clean sheet since Martin O’Neill’s previous game in charge.

Two first-half goals in five minutes from Yang Hyun-jun and Arne Engels sent Celtic on their way as O’Neill returned to the dugout in style following Wilfried Nancy’s brief but disastrous reign.

Substitute Benjamin Nygren grabbed his 11th goal of the season and Daizen Maeda netted on the rebound to equal Celtic’s two biggest wins of the league season so far. Both of them were in O’Neill’s caretaker spell in charge, which resulted in seven wins from eight games.

Celtic sent for the 73-year-old on Monday after terminating Nancy’s contract in the wake of six defeats – and 18 goals against – in eight matches.

The chaos, confusion and defensive fragility that marked Nancy’s reign disappeared as the Hoops moved three points off the top of the table.

Nobody in the stadium would have been surprised to see O’Neill restore Celtic’s long-standing 4-3-3 formation and the team picked up where they left off under O’Neill, as if they had awoken from a nightmare and got on with life as normal.

Centre-back Liam Scales was back to the consistent form he displayed before suffering in and out of a back three under the Frenchman.

Callum McGregor dictated play again and Celtic’s wide players, Yang and Sebastian Tounekti, were given attacking licence after being handed wing-back roles by the former Columbus Crew head coach.

Celtic enjoyed 78 per cent possession, had 22 shots at goal and let United have just three. Their opponents averaged 12 shots during Nancy’s tenure and United managed 17 themselves during their 2-1 win over the Hoops at Tannadice less than four weeks ago.

Celtic penned United in from the start, with Kieran Tierney instrumental in creating a series of first-half chances.

The left-back had a shot deflected wide, Yang and Scales threatened from headers and Maeda flicked a low cross of the bar, before the pressure paid off in the 27th minute.

Such was Celtic’s dominance that Scales found himself in possession on the edge of the box and rolled a pass to Yang, who drilled home from 20 yards.

Maeda soon mis-kicked a volley before Engels produced a first-time finish from Tierney’s pass.

It was not all plain sailing for Celtic in the first half. Mexican right-back Julian Araujo marked his first start with a yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Will Ferry, who was still hobbling when he took the resulting free-kick.

United also had chances and Dario Naamo looked unsure whether to head or volley Craig Sibbald’s deep cross and did neither and Owen Stirton twice came close.

The striker was firstly foiled by a goal-saving block from Scales after being gifted possession by Auston Trusty and later shot just wide from 18 yards after the Celtic central defence backed off.

United brought on winger Amar Fatah for holding midfielder Pan Camara at half-time but Celtic were even more dominant in the second half.

Reo Hatate and Maeda missed good chances before Nygren shot high into the net from six yards in the 63rd minute.

Maeda had an easy finish six minutes later after Tounekti’s shot was saved.