Scottish Premiership title race: Three to go for Hearts and Celtic as Rangers falter

The Scottish Premiership title race will be decided in the next three games, with Hearts and Celtic doing battle after Rangers faltered.

It’s been a three-way tussle for the trophy into the post-split fixtures, but with just three games remaining, Hearts have a significant seven-point advantage over Rangers.

The Jambos put their rivals to the sword at Tynecastle on bank holiday Monday, with a 2-1 turnaround all but ending the Gers’ title chances.

Hearts, who haven’t won a title since 1960, have led the pack for most of the season and are closing in on history under Derek McInnes.

Meanwhile, Celtic, current champions in a season of struggles on and off the pitch, have managed to cling on to the race by beating Falkirk and Hibs. They sit three points behind Hearts.

Hearts

The title is in Hearts’ hands should they win their final three matches, and they will travel to Celtic Park on the final day.

That would take the Jambos to 85 points – the lowest league winning tally across 38 games since the 2017/18 season (excluding the 2019/20 season, which was curtailed after 30 games due to the pandemic).

The Jambos’ impressive season is perhaps personified by the fact that they remain undefeated at home all campaign.

Should they beat Motherwell away and Falkirk at home, assuming Celtic take full points from the Old Firm and a game against Motherwell, Hearts would be three ahead on the final day.

That means Celtic could tie their rivals with a win on the final day, but would need to beat Hearts by a handful of goals.

Celtic

Celtic have lost eight league games this season, and no side has ever won the crown with that many losses.

Three, or technically four, managerial stints later, and O’Neill has a task arguably bigger than any he faced in his trophy-laden first spell at Parkhead.

Yet in the last ten games, Celtic are the form team in the league and have the same number of points as Hearts on 22, but more goals.

The Hoops have not beaten Hearts or Rangers in the league this season and effectively need to beat both to win the title.

It will be no mean feat with Rangers up next at Parkhead before a tough test at Fir Park, before they meet Hearts.

Rangers

The favourites going into the split have faltered with two defeats to Motherwell and now Hearts, putting Rangers all but out of the title race.

Gers boss Danny Rohl admitted his team are now in “a really difficult position” but says there are nine points to play for.

They haven’t lost to Celtic in the league this season, and one of Rohl’s best triumphs was a 3-1 win on Celtic’s turf in January.

After the Old Firm, Rangers face Hibs at home before Falkirk away on the final day.

Games that have defined the season…so far

Dundee United 2-0 Celtic (December 17)

Celtic’s second visit of the season to the City of Discovery could hardly have gone worse than the 2-0 defeat to Dundee in October that ended Brendan Rodgers’ tenure at the club.

Step up Wilfried Nancy, who would eventually last just 33 days in post at Celtic Park, and his side to lose again, this time to United.

That defeat had followed a loss to Hearts the week prior, a 3-1 win for McInnes and co proving to be another definitive moment in the title race.

Hearts 2-2 Celtic (January 25)

As powder-keg clashes go, this one did not fail to deliver.

Four goals, VAR controversy and a late equaliser from Claudio Braga capped off an action-packed afternoon.

Hearts showed they were not willing to go down easily and still remain unbeaten against the Hoops this season.

Hearts 1-0 Hibs (February 10)

The first Edinburgh derby of the season marked only the second time the Jambos tasted defeat by that point in the campaign in a five-goal thriller at Easter Road.

They have only gone on to lose three more times since, and dealt some revenge on their city rivals in the reverse fixture in February.

It was the late show at Tynecastle with a single goal from Magnusson sealing a massive three points.

Rangers 4-2 Hearts (February 15)

Rangers’ first home defeat under doomed boss Russell Martin had come at the hands of Hearts in August, but there was no love lost in this post-Valentine’s Day clash at Ibrox.

The Ibrox side stamped their authority on the visitors with a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick and had those in light blue believing a title challenge was very much on.

Kilmarnock 2-3 Celtic (February 15)

Celtic’s powers of recovery have been nothing short of a guarantee in recent title-winning seasons.

And from the depths of despair at 2-0 down in East Ayrshire, a last-gasp Julian Araujo winner sealed a crucial victory in Martin O’Neill’s 300th game in charge of the club.

It wouldn’t, however, prove to be the start of a run of form with the Hoops losing to Hibs the following week and salvaging a draw at Ibrox two weeks later.

Hearts 2-1 Rangers (May 4)

On May 4, it was written in the stars that it would be a crucial day in the title race.

And while Rangers tore up the Hearts script with a goal from Dujon Sterling inside 23 minutes, it would be the Jambos who roared back to maintain their unbeaten home record.

Goals from Stephen Kingsley and a bullet from Lawrence Shankland sent Tynecastle into overdrive, and at the end of the game, the stadium was emblazoned with “three to go, keep believing”.

Could the league be decided on the final day?

It could be argued that the scenario of this unprecedented league season being decided on the final day is looking increasingly likely.

The trophy could be heading for a dramatic ‘Helicopter Sunday’, or in this case, Saturday finish.

In 2005, Rangers clinched the league title on a final day filled with drama as Celtic fell to defeat at Motherwell despite being two points ahead going into the last game.

In 1986, the last time Hearts came this close to a title triumph, they lost the league on the final day to Dundee after a run of 27 games unbeaten.

It was Celtic who put five goals past St Mirren to tie the Jambos on points, but had a superior goal difference come the final whistle.

Hearts will be hoping there’s no repeat of that heartache almost 40 years on.