through quiet calm Martin O’Neill, celtics stay firmly in this Premier League In the title race, not even a 33-day disaster for Wilfried Nancy could put the Scottish champion out of contention.

Frustratingly, however, the Hoops missed an opportunity to close the gap on leaders Hearts at Tynecastle last month, leading 2-1 after Tomas Kavankara had to challenge Yang at the back post.

As full-time approached, O’Neill’s side looked set for a vital victory, although the tenacious home side fought back, with Claudio Braga firing in from close range to secure a point.

The 26-year-old, who has scored 10 Premier League goals this season, has been a central figure in Hearts’ title bid, with both him and Laurence Shankland forming part of the division’s most feared forward line in 2025/26.

The Celtics have been lacking a reliable center for much of the season and have been quite weak in comparison, but with the additions of Tomas Chiwankara and Junior Adamu, will that change?

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With a huge amount of work already done in January, there are now no excuses for Parkhead, especially the attacking unit, to give the team a fresh coat of paint for the rest of the season.

Even with a host of temporary loan players, there was reason for optimism and neither Chiwankara nor Adamu, who scored a vital equalizer on his debut against Dundee, fell short.

In Saturday’s Scottish Cup win, O’Neill started the game with Chiwankara in midfield, flanked by Yang Xianjun and Joel Mvuka, although that option simply didn’t work, with Mvuka hooked at half-time after a difficult first game in green and white.

On the winger’s fitness issues and accusations he is just “one”Mediocre Ligue 1 playerAccording to journalist Robin Bairner, the 23-year-old has a lot of work to do to win over the Celtic faithful at Lorient and Saturday’s performance did not suggest he should be given a starting role on the wing.

Having said that, the 2-1 win did allow Sebastian Tounekti to show his best form on the left wing, a position he could lose after his late appearance if the Tunisian can maintain such impressive influence.

On the right, Young has been a consistent regular under O’Neill, although he simply wasn’t up to par with just 13 goals and 10 assists in 94 appearances for the club.

That could ensure Daizen Maeda returns to the right wing, having previously held the role under Ange Postecoglou, with Adamu and Cvancara vying for the starting nine spot.

The decision on who starts may come down to the pairing behind them, with Celtic’s response to Braga looking a sure bet.

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With the 6-foot-3 Chivankara leading the line, even the Czech forward is no slouch in his own right, but speed and mobility seem to be needed around him.

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Combination of Cvancara and Benjamin Nygren Nygren did stand out in the 2-0 win over Falkirk, with the pair scoring a goal apiece, but Nygren will likely come into his own with the likes of Adamu stretching the defense in behind.

At Hearts, Derek McInnes paid off by deploying Shankland centrally with support from Braga, although Nygren has yet to link up with a consistent center forward back at Celtic.

Even so, the 24-year-old Swede has been devastating in his own right under O’Neill and has already scored 12 goals in the league this season, surpassing Braga, who usually operates as a striker or as a number 10.

Like his Portuguese counterpart, Nygren joined from Scandinavia for just £400,000 from Norwegian side Alesund, joining from Danish side Nordsjaelland for a minimum fee of just £1.7m.

While he doesn’t possess the pace and energy of the Hearts star, Celtic’s number eight is just as versatile and powerful, with 21 goals and assists in all competitions this season, with Braga contributing 18 goals of his own.

Nygren operates between the lines, even if profligately at times, but has developed a knack for being in the right place at the right time, notably his close-range finish in the crucial Europa League win over Utrecht.

Similar to Bulaga, the 6-footer started out as a left-field signing and now holds talismanic status at Parkhead.

Of course, summer recruiting isn’t exactly a time to look back on, but Nygren stands out as a major success story. Market value surges an indicator.

Indeed, while Hearts’ title hopes may rest on Braga continuing to make a difference for Edinburgh, Nygren’s own prolific ability will be central to it if O’Neill is to lead the Championship side to another league title.

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