…As Rangers stun Celtic
Hearts moved six points clear of the Scottish Premiership following a slim 1-0 victory over bottom placed Livingston at the Tynecastle Park on Saturday.
Derek McInnes’ side are six points clear of both Old Firm sides (Celtic and Rangers) after an hard fought win to start 2026 in good heart.
Similar, Rangers stunned Celtic 3-1 at home as Wilfried Nancy’s side succumbed to a second-half comeback from the Gers with Youssef Chermiti bagging a brace.
The 3-1 defeat means Rangers move level on points with second-placed Celtic, both on 38 points from 20 Premiership matches.
While fans of the Parkhead side staged a post-match protest directed at the club board, Nancy told BBC Scotland: “It was disappointing because we deserved more today, but again we needed more goals.”
Read also: Wolves records first win after 20 PL matches
The Celtic manager insisted he is still on the page with the board and believes the team can still turn things around.
“We are really close, there are many things that can turn around. If it was not the case, I would not talk like this. I really believe we can turn things around.”
Celtic suffered their sixth loss in eight games following the derby defeat to Rangers on Saturday.
The Frenchman hailed his team’s first half performance as outstanding, after taking the lead through Yang Hyun-Jun.
However, the city rivals Rangers fought back in the second half and exposed the home side’s defensive fragility with a double from Youssef Chermiti and a third from Mikey Moore.
“In the second half, we conceded three goals from throw-ins. It’s difficult to accept, but it’s reality. This is not about the players or the tactics, this is about moments.
“This is not about myself, this is about disappointing the fans because I know the meaning of this game. I can understand the disappointment, but I also saw what we’re able to do,” said Nancy.
South Korea international Yang Hyun-jun scored a terrific solo goal in the 20th minute of a William Hill Premiership game dominated by the home side.
However, in a remarkable second-half turnaround, Rangers’ much-maligned £8m striker Youssef Chermiti scored twice in nine minutes before Mikey Moore added a third in the 71st minute to leave Celtic stunned.
Hoops fans remain in a battle with the club’s boardroom that will continue in tandem with their quest to rid the club of the former Columbus Crew boss Nancy, who must be on borrowed time.
Danny Rohl has rejuvenated Rangers in terms of league results since taking over from Russell Martin, but this was a statement win for the German coach as his side went level on points with second-placed Celtic.
