Scottish Premiership title race: What we discovered from Hearts, Rangers, Celtic and Motherwell after large weekend

4 groups within the title race and three factors separating the highest three – this was a weekend on the prime of the Scottish Premiership that swung the race in the direction of a ‘race to the wire’ contest.

Celtic’s dramatic restoration from 2-0 all the way down to a 3-2 win away at Kilmarnock ramped up the strain on Rangers and Hearts forward of their Ibrox conflict – and the strain confirmed as either side took half in a ding-dong six-goal thriller.

Rangers’ 4-2 win over Hearts has now created a two-point hole between the highest two – with Celtic three factors off the summit with a recreation in hand.

However don’t forget Motherwell in all of this – as their eight-game profitable run has put them ten factors behind Hearts with a recreation in hand. It isn’t inconceivable…

So after this weekend – the place will we stand? Sky Sports activities’ soccer reporters look by every group’s principal speaking factors…

Hearts nonetheless in a fantastic place regardless of loss

Since Christmas, Hearts have misplaced to Hibernian, didn’t beat 10-man Celtic, misplaced to St Mirren and now crushed at Ibrox. One other large recreation that Derek McInnes’ aspect have didn’t win because the expectation has risen.

However regardless of a second loss in three video games, Hearts are nonetheless in a improbable place in the intervening time.

At the start, they’ve two residence video games to answer this in opposition to Falkirk and Aberdeen – that are beneficial for a aspect at the moment hurting from an energy-sapping loss at Rangers.

However crucially, that second recreation in opposition to Aberdeen comes forward of the Previous Agency derby at Ibrox, the place one thing has to provide when it comes to the Glasgow rivals’ probabilities.

Sure, defeat to Rangers has opened up the title race and Hearts’ dominance of this season appears to be like weak. But it surely’s value remembering Celtic are closely reliant on late winners – together with in opposition to second-bottom Kilmarnock on Sunday. Rangers are struggling to get back-to-back wins. They’re nonetheless in a fantastic spot.
Sam Blitz

Celtic left it late, very late, once more!

For the third consecutive recreation in simply eight days, Martin O’Neill’s Celtic had been rescued in injury-time.

It has been a characteristic of many nice title-winning Celtic sides for years. Even in latest historical past, assume again to Matt O’Riley v Motherwell (2023), Girogos Giakoumakis v St Johnstone (2022), and even Anthony Ralston v Ross County (2021).

All objectives the place on the time we mentioned would show essential within the title race. Objectives that make champions.

However this 12 months is totally different, and these late winners really will make a distinction. The league is not any canter this 12 months – it is fairly the other, and Celtic have the essential ingredient of profitable expertise.

They’ve a core of serial winners, who know nothing however success: Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest to call a couple of.

However a ‘profitable mentality’ will solely take you up to now. The efficiency ranges within the first half had been as soon as once more extraordinarily alarming.

O’Neill admitted: “I don’t think you can keep that going.” You are proper, Martin. Some severely robust video games developing, and you may’t be bailed out in of all of them in stoppage-time.
Adam Binnie

Rangers hearth again from the brink to roar once more in a title race like no different

Rangers followers may very well be forgiven for pondering they’d seen this film earlier than. New supervisor goes on a profitable run after shambolic goings-on had threatened to derail the season, just for these revitalised outcomes to crumble in clutch moments.

Dropping factors within the closing minutes to Motherwell in midweek after Hearts and Celtic had scored late winners may have seen Rangers revert to the kind of latest occasions. As a substitute, a giant win over the league leaders on Sunday places them inside touching distance of the summit – even when enormous challenges lie in wait.

Below Danny Rohl, Rangers have lower the hole to Hearts from 13 factors to only two. That in itself is kind of the achievement given simply how unhealthy the Ibrox aspect had been earlier than the German took over.

Rohl refuses to get too up or too down, regardless of the end result. As followers had been nonetheless leaving Ibrox on Sunday night he advised Sky Sports activities that he was already excited about one other large recreation subsequent week at Livingston. One recreation at a time could be a cliché however it’s the mantra that noticed Steven Gerrard ship Rangers’ final title in 2021.

Derek McInnes made the purpose that Rangers will nonetheless have to return to Tynecastle. Hearts will probably be licking their lips on the prospect of two league Previous Agency fixtures, whereas matches in opposition to the likes of Falkirk, Hibernian and Motherwell have been something however easy for Rangers this season.

The reality is, this doubtless is not a marketing campaign which sees a Brendan Rodgers, Gerrard or Ange Postecoglou aspect devour all earlier than them. Factors will probably be dropped; there will probably be twists and turns and the highest six will doubtless be of such a top quality that the post-split fixtures may very well be among the many most intriguing we’ve seen for years.

If there was any doubt earlier than this weekend – we’ve a tantalising title race. An precise, correct, title race. And, due to a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick, Rangers are very a lot part of it.
Allan Valente

Time to take Motherwell severely

Perhaps we have been billing this incorrectly all alongside.

Some Motherwell followers, even some Motherwell gamers, will let you know there are 4 groups on this title battle, not three.

High-scorer Tawanda Maswanise advised me on Thursday: “Watch out for us.” JT, I am watching.

Jens Berthel Askou’s aspect received once more at present, beating Aberdeen 2-0 at residence. They continue to be unbeaten in seven matches in 2026 and have solely misplaced as soon as of their final 18 league video games.

The shape desk would let you know that they are each bit nearly as good as Danny Rohl’s revitalised Rangers – who’re the one group to attain a aim at Fir Park since October.

With a semi-favourable run of fixtures on the horizon, we may very well be taking a look at a fourth power come the cut up.

This is not the previous cliché of ‘they can not win the title, however they might have a say in who does.’ A win of their recreation in hand would take them to inside seven factors of the league leaders…
Adam Binnie