Three clubs. A trophy. And a title fight that refuses to follow the old playbook.

The momentum is swinging, the pressure is mounting, and every game now carries the weight of a season – especially this Saturday’s game.

Celtic take on Rangers at Celtic Park, sky sports live. A clash of established teams will have a huge impact on this three-way title race.

Saturday, January 3, 11:30 a.m.

Starts at 12:30 noon

Hartz’s fearless challenge from outside the old company creates a conflict filled with danger and excitement that you won’t be able to look away from. Are they ending Celtic and Rangers’ 40-year top-flight dominance?

Hearts are top of the table with 41 points as the season enters its decisive moment, with Celtic and Rangers fumbling a bit behind, but they will fight to catch up until the very end.

The Celtics currently have 38 points and are driven by expectations and ambition. The Rangers currently trail by 35 points and know better than most teams how quickly momentum can shift. It is they who are in the form of the horse.

Rangers have picked up more points than any team in 11 league games since Danny Rohr took charge, recording eight wins, two draws and one loss to Hearts.

Seasons can take a turn and for Rangers, Saturday’s derby clash could be one of them. After months of turmoil, transformation and a search for consistency, the opportunity to reset the title picture was suddenly right in front of them.

A victory over Celtic would be more than just bragging rights or motivation, it would put Rangers firmly in the title race.

Wanderers on Röhl

Next five league fixtures:
Celtic (away) – January 3 – Sky Sports Live
Aberdeen (H) – January 6 – Sky Sports Live
Aberdeen (away) – January 11 – Sky Sports Live
Dundee(h) – January 25
Hibernian (a) – February 1

“Rangers are out, they’re done, they can forget about it, 12 points is too many to get back.”

For Chris Boyd, title hopes were dashed when his former team lost 2-1 to Hearts on December 21. However, just two games later, with both Hearts and Celtic on six points from six games, things are looking much more positive.

The Rangers’ resurgence under Rohr has been unremarkable. It’s not flashy. But it’s increasingly effective.

After going through a tumultuous period under Russell Martin where control often came at the expense of defensive safety, Wanderers are now becoming harder to beat and thus win games. The chaos has subsided. Risks are managed. Crucially, targets for columns have been significantly tightened. Just seven goals in 11 games speaks to that.

Rangers have conceded far fewer goals under Rohr – and that’s not by accident, but by design. Martin’s team was vulnerable in transition, while Rohr’s Rangers looked organized, patient and more picky in attack.

The Rangers may not be finished yet, but they are building a platform that will perform well in the title race: defensive resilience, game management and the ability to punish opponents in decisive moments.

Celtics are wobbly but still favorites – why?

Next five league fixtures:
Rangers (home) – January 3 – Sky Sports Live
Dundee United (home) – January 10
Falkirk (guest) – January 14
Hearts(a) – January 25 – Sky Sports Live
Falkirk (h) – February 1

Logically, the Scottish Premiership title race has tilted towards Celtic. Lines of form do. Five defeats in six league games under Wilfrid Nancy. Three points adrift of leaders Hearts. Winter is coming and there are more questions than answers. However, when you look at the bookmakers’ odds on the title race, you’ll find one thing that hasn’t changed: Celtic remain Sky Bet favorites.

Whether this will be proven right or wrong by the end of the season, only time will tell. But bookmakers don’t put a price on emotion. They price probabilities. In this title race, even amid the turmoil, the odds remain stacked against Celtic.

Bookmakers are banking on institutional memory as this is a club that knows how to win titles when the pressure tightens. And, crucially, the underlying data also provides comfort.

Despite the defeat under Nancy, Celtic still controlled the game and their ability to create chances didn’t collapse – the transition did. Additionally, defensive lapses proved costly. Over those seven games, Celtic’s expected goals per 90 performance (a metric that calculates expected goals minus expected goals) is an impressive +1.38.

To put that number into perspective, Hearts have an xG advantage of +0.28 over their last seven games, while Rangers have an xG advantage of +0.76.

The Celtics don’t look like champions right now. This is already clear. But based on these performance measures, Nancy’s advantage remains.

The heart still leads the way: hold us if you can

Next five league fixtures:
Livingston(h) – January 3
Dundee (away) – January 11 – Sky Sports Live
St. Mirren (h) – January 14
Celtic (home) – January 25 – Sky Sports Live
Dundee United (away) – January 31 – Sky Sports Live

When Tony Bloom joined Hearts, his prediction was to win the Championship within 10 years. He is about to deliver on this unlikely promise ahead of schedule. It only took one transfer window for his Jamestown analysis model to work its magic.

Alessandro Kizridis and Claudio Braga were not brought in to speak or make noise. They were brought in to solve problems. In doing so, Hearts may have exposed that Scottish football is still well behind the curve when it comes to recruitment. Focus on skills, not resumes. They researched what their systems needed and shopped in markets that others ignored.

Braga (12 goals) and Kygiridis (9 goals) have a combined 21 goals this season, while teammate Lawrence Shankland has nine goals and two assists.

Hearts are the league’s top scorers with 38 goals and will need Braga, Kyziridis and Shankland to keep their hot form going in 2026. Defeats to Aberdeen and Hibernian opened the door for the chase, but a record of four wins from four games against established sides this season means Hearts have put some distance between themselves and the big boys.

Still, stopping veteran teams throughout the season presents a unique challenge. In a game where the pressure is mounting every week, Hearts’ ability to score consistently could be the difference between daring to dream and achieving something truly historic.