Celtic obliterated Hearts on Sunday afternoon as Martin O’Neill and his players sent out a clear and direct message to the Jambos, the point dropping Ibrox outfit and anyone else who holds any aspirations of being top dog in Scottish football…
Callum Osmand of Celtic celebrates scoring Celtic v Hearts Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, – 18 October 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock
The message is this, Celtic isn’t going anywhere and we more than welcome the chase as the gap at the top of the table widens to four points after the weekend fixtures.
From the moment that Kieran Tierney headed the five in a row Champions in front, there was no doubt who was leaving with all three points, and thanks to further goals from Benjamin Nygren, a Callum Osmand brace, and an own goal heavily influenced by the impressive Mika Baur we headed into the break leading 5-1, with the Jambos goal through Mendy nothing more than a mere consolation.
Mika Baur of Celtic celebrates scoring Celtic v Hearts, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 18 October 2026 Photo Mark Runnacles
Shutterstock/IMAGO
Edinburgh’s Shame, AKA the Hearts travelling support had seen enough as they left in their droves before and during the interval, and it seemed a sensible decision as Camilo Duran soon made it 6-1, with it now being a case of how many as the champions toyed with the mere title pretenders.
In the end it was limited to just the seven goals after Nygren grabbed his second of the afternoon as the hoops totally destroyed the Jambos, and let them and our watching rivals firmly know that we are the side to beat, and won’t be giving up our title easily.
Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates scoring Celtic v Hearts Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 18 October 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock
Make no mistake this was a hammer blow of a massive magnitude to the Gorgie side who were guilty of believing that they are better then they really are, just as their Glasgow cousins did the exact sam thing on Saturday evening up at Dens Park.
The destination of the title has still to be determined given that we are only in October, but Celtic after hammering Hearts are now four points clear of The Rangers, and eight clear of the broken Hearts.
Liam Scales of Celtic and Kasper Hogh of Celtic react at full time. Celtic v Hearts Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 18 October 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles Shutterstock IMAGO
The hoops goal differential is also significantly greater, meaning that we are very much still the side to beat as we set the pace. Last season was a once on forty years chance for Hearts to win the title but they blew it then just as the did in 1986 when Albert Kidd scored twice for Dundee in the closing ten minutes.
Forty years later it was Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand who broke their hearts as they moved within ten minutes of their first title since 1960.
The long wait looking like continuing if yesterday’s showing was anything to go by. It certainly looks like Hearts are falling apart…again.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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Celtic in the Fifties by Matt Corr, in two volumes, both published on 4th September 2026 by Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.
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