The Scottish Premiership landscape shifted this week as Hearts’ early momentum faltered, Celtic grabbed a stoppage-time winner and Rangers continued their winning run under Danny Röhl — albeit not without controversy. Hibernian also kept pace with another assured display, leaving the title race and top-four positions tightly contested.
Hearts
Hearts’ unbeaten start to the season ended at Aberdeen, and the Jambos have managed only one victory in their last four matches across all competitions. The club is also waiting for news on the fitness of captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland, who remains a doubt. Head coach Derek McInnes played down panic after Pittodrie, insisting the squad will learn from the setback and that he trusts the players’ quality, work ethic and motivation. Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd noted Hearts were not poor overall but warned that one win in four is a concern, pointing to limited creativity from key figures such as Alex Kyziridis and Claudio Braga and a lack of cutting edge in front of goal.
Hearts now face Motherwell and Kilmarnock before a high-profile trip to Celtic Park on December 7, a fixture being shown live on Sky.
Celtic
Celtic eked out a 1-0 victory at St Mirren thanks to a dramatic 95th-minute strike from captain Callum McGregor. The win came despite a largely subdued performance — Celtic managed just two shots on target — and against the backdrop of growing supporter unrest after the club’s AGM was abandoned, with fans chanting “sack the board.” Interim boss Martin O’Neill suggested a draw would have been a fair result, while former striker Chris Sutton praised McGregor’s leadership and influence. Johnny Kenny, who had scored in the previous two league games, was withdrawn at half-time after a difficult outing, and Daizen Maeda found it hard to break down St Mirren defender Alex Gogic.
McGregor’s late intervention may prove crucial as the busy festive schedule approaches, but questions linger over consistency on the pitch and broader issues at the club off it.
Rangers
Rangers extended their winning run to four league games since Danny Röhl took charge, edging Livingston 2-1 in a match that featured contentious moments. Röhl named an unusual centre-back partnership of Emmanuel Fernandez and loanee Nasser Djiga, with Danilo leading the attack. Fernandez opened the scoring with his first goal since joining from Peterborough but was implicated in the goal that allowed Livingston back into the game and appeared fortunate to avoid a penalty for an apparent handball in the box. Mohamed Diomande’s late tap-in settled the contest, leaving Rangers fourth in the table and level on points with Hibernian but behind on goal difference.
Hibernian
David Gray’s Hibernian continued to build momentum, beating Dundee 2-0 at Easter Road with 23-year-old Kieron Bowie prominent in the victory. Hibs sit third and five points behind Celtic, although both Celtic and Rangers each have a game in hand. Bowie’s recent form, after being left out of Steve Clarke’s final World Cup qualifying squad, bolsters his case for future international consideration. Hibernian travel to Motherwell before hosting Celtic on Sunday live on Sky Sports as they push to stay in the title conversation.
Summary
Hearts’ blistering start has softened amid an injury cloud over Shankland and a dip in victories. Celtic survived with a stoppage-time goal amid fan unrest, while Rangers continue to collect wins under Röhl but remain inconsistent and benefited from late drama and debatable incidents. Hibernian have quietly established themselves as genuine challengers with consistent performances and emerging talents like Bowie adding intrigue to the season ahead.