Important wins for Rangers and Hibernian lifted some pressure, but it was another winless performance for Aberdeen as they lost ground to a tenacious Celtic in the title race ahead of Wednesday’s clash at Pittodrie, live on Sky Sports.
Important away win eases pressure on Rangers
Rangers knew they had to win at St Johnstone. It wasn’t great, but a scrappy 1-0 win helped them avoid a third successive Premier League defeat and close the gap on Aberdeen to second place.
Iannis Hagi made his first league start of the season and there were more positives than negatives for the Romanian international as he played a key role in setting up an own goal in Perth.
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St Johnstone’s Jason Holt scored an own goal to give Rangers a decisive lead in the clash at MacDiarmid Park.
Captain James Tavernier also started and felt the pressure as Jason Holt diverted the ball into his own goal in the second half.
After an impressive Europa League win at Nice, Philippe Clement’s side were forced to pull out an ugly win against a Saints side who looked much better under new coach Simo Balacary.
Rangers still need a lot of improvement if they are to put pressure on the top two this season, as they have only scored three away goals in the league this season.
What was the turning point for Hibs?
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Scottish Premiership match highlights between Motherwell and Hibernian
Hibs’ dramatic comeback against Aberdeen, building on Saturday’s emphatic win at Motherwell, appears to have been the catalyst to start the season.
They played with purpose from kick-off at Fir Park and their attacking style showed a confident side while the hosts were far below their best.
Hibs impressed at Motherwell
It has been a dismal start for manager David Gray, but the Easter Road board have backed him and based on Saturday’s performance, the team are also behind their former captain.
They are bottom of the Premier League, three points above Hearts, but they will face perhaps their toughest test of the season in their next game against Celtic.
Aberdeen lost pace to an unstoppable Celtic.
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Watch highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Aberdeen
After a blistering start under Jimmy Thelin, Aberdeen went into their third game without a win, leaving them five points behind Premier League leaders Celtic, who they host on Wednesday night. Sky Sports live broadcast.
There were six changes to the back four with the Dons having not played together before.
Thelin appears keen to keep his team fresh over the busy festive period, but there is no doubt he will have learned something about the players around him at Tynecastle.
While the Dons have struggled in their last three games, Celtic appear to be going from strength to strength.
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Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Celtic’s 5-0 win over Ross County, saying his side were now in a mentally strong position despite being booed 12 months ago.
Brendan Rodgers also made six changes, five of which he scored in a blistering start against Ross County, showing the squad he has at his disposal as he juggles domestic and European duty.
Luke McCowan was the most impressive of the players coming in, with a goal and three assists proving his move from Dundee this summer was the right one.
It would have been a surprise to no one if the Hoops had hit double figures as they began their offensive streak against the Staggies who had little to offer.
Wednesday, December 4th 7:15 PM
Kickoff at 8pm
Aberdeen fought back to force a draw at Celtic Park earlier in the season, but you could sense the Hoops were determined to make the only drop.
Injury issues as Critchley gets positive result from draw
Hearts’ Stephen Kingsley suffered a hamstring injury against Aberdeen.
Hibs’ win at Motherwell put the pressure on Hearts, but despite a fourth successive defeat they remain bottom of the table.
And along with the hard fighting came injuries. Stephen Kingsley was stretchered off with a hamstring problem, while Frankie Kent limped off with a knee problem.
With Gerald Taylor already on the sidelines, Neil Critchley’s defensive options are limited.
