Scottish Premiership: No splitting Celtic & Aberdeen, Rangers' woes eases, pressure on David Gray at Hibs
Celtic won 2-0 at Kilmarnock; Rangers beat Hearts 1-0; Aberdeen beat Dundee 4-1; Hibs lost 2-1 to St Mirren; Motherwell beat St Johnstone 2-1; Dundee United won 3-0 against Ross County
Wednesday 13 November 2024 23:36, UK
There is no let-up in the battle between Celtic and Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish Premiership and while the pressure has eased at Rangers, what next for David Gray at Hibs?
Can Celtic see off determined Dons?
League titles have to be earned and Celtic are being pushed all the way so far this season by Aberdeen with both sides only dropping Premiership points against each other.
The Hoops were made to work for their victory at Kilmarnock on Sunday, with Brendan Rodgers quick to point out that was a game they might have lost last season.
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They dominated RB Leipzig but were pushed all the way by Kilmarnock as they showed their strength and determination to take the win, with Nicolas Kuhn once again proving his worth this season.
It was Celtic who ended Jimmy Thelin's unbeaten run in the League Cup last weekend, but they bounced back in style against Dundee.
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Yes, they needed Dimitar Mitov's penalty save to keep them level but they once again upped their level to put another three past the Dark Blues and had plenty of other chances.
Brendan Rodgers' side also have European football to contend with, while the Dons' sole focus is on the Premiership and trying to cause a massive shock this season.
Clement's Rangers woes ease
Rangers knew only a win would do against Hearts, but it was far from a convincing display against the side sitting second bottom of the table.
After a hard-fought Europa League point in Greece and an early goal against the Jambos there was optimism, but the positivity dropped as they failed to stamp their authority on the game.
They were disjointed and the fans' frustration was clear. The win ensures they did not drop further behind in the title race, but nine points is a lot to claw back against two teams in great form.
Rangers are into the League Cup final, performing well in Europe and ground out that Premiership result which will have eased the pressure on Philippe Clement a little.
But the performances will need to improve if he is to get the fans back onside and maintain some pressure on the league's top two.
Can Hibs recover from struggling start?
It was another weekend of disappointment for Hibs but instead of conceding a late equaliser this time, they had a late leveller disallowed to leave them rooted to the foot of the table.
The Easter Road side have managed just one win this season but the board have said they are fully behind head coach David Gray despite mounting pressure from the fans.
Following a cycle of sacking managers - with four dismissed in under three years - Gray is set to be given a chance to improve results.
The international break is often welcomed by struggling teams as a chance to regroup and right some wrongs, but it is difficult to see how he can turn this struggling squad around quickly.
