The Scottish Premiership title race took another huge turn over the past weekend as results set the tone for what’s expected to be a pulsating run-in.
With just three points separating the top three, the battle for Scotland’s holy grail is poised to go down to the wire.
Hearts are attempting to pull off a feat no other Scottish club has managed in over four decades.
Celtic and Rangers have traditionally dominated the Premiership, but Tony Bloom’s investment in Hearts has changed the landscape.
The Brighton & Hove Albion owner is looking to make Hearts the first club outside Glasgow to win the Premiership since Aberdeen in 1984/85.
Hearts’ title challenge took a massive hit last weekend when they were beaten by challengers Rangers at Ibrox. However, their fate is still firmly in their hands.
Portuguese striker Claudio Braga is spearheading Hearts’ historic title bid and was once again on the scoresheet last weekend, even though his effort wasn’t enough to thwart Rangers.
The 26-year-old is the joint-second top scorer in the Scottish Premiership, netting 11 goals in 27 games.
He’s level with Scottish teammate Lawrence Shankland, while only Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren and Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise have scored more goals than Braga (13 each).
With just six games left in what has been an action-packed, attention-grabbing title race, read on as we assess the latest state of play at the top end of the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic and Rangers pile the pressure on Hearts
All eyes may be on Hearts and Rangers, but it’ll be silly to ignore reigning champions Celtic, who are gradually closing the gap on the top two.
Celtic took another huge step towards retaining their crown and winning a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership title last weekend.
The Hoops nicked a 3-2 win against lowly Kilmarnock in a five-goal thriller at Rugby Park thanks to a last-minute strike from unlikely hero Julian Araujo.
Celtic proved once again why champions are difficult to shake off. Martin O’Neill’s side were trailing 2-0 at half time.
However, they pulled off a stunning comeback to stretch their winning streak to three games thanks to goals from Sebastian Tounekti, Nygren and Araujo.
That win places them just three points off table toppers Hearts, and they have their mortal enemies to thank for closing the gap.
Rangers claimed a crucial 4-2 win on home turf. Like their Glasgow rivals, Rangers also had to do it the hard way, coming from behind to claim a comfortable win.
The Gers fell behind twice against the league leaders, but an own goal from Michael Steinwender and a stunning Youssef Chermiti hat-trick helped secure a win that blew the title race wide open.
Who holds the advantage?
Rangers manager Danny Rohl believes they have what it takes to win the league, but has charged his troops to maintain consistency throughout the remaining six games of the season.
The Gers are two points off Hearts at the top of the table, and last weekend’s victory significantly bolstered their chances of reclaiming the crown for the first time since 2020/21.
Rangers have collected more points than any other side in the league and now boast the strongest defensive record among the top three since Rohl was appointed last October.
That will come in handy, but the title race picture could change once again if Celtic win their outstanding game at Aberdeen. If they reclaim top spot, knocking them off will be difficult.
However, Hearts still have a fair chance at making history, with Rangers and Celtic still scheduled to lock horns in what should be a title decider.
Hearts must be ready to take advantage of the result of that fixture. But they cannot afford to drop any more points in the remaining six games of the campaign.
