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We did not witness at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club possess a real credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.

Turning Point in the Second Half

A crucial three-minute spell were key, once the initial exchanges that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland converted. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.

Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.

Hoops' Reaction

Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.

Stubborn Defence

The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. One cannot overlook the excitement.

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