What have we learned from first round of Premiership?
Hearts are showing they can again trouble Celtic and Rangers, but their early challenge faces a test from injuries, European commitments and an uneven away record. After every team had played one another, the first round of Scottish Premiership fixtures offered clues about the season ahead, though 11 games are still only an early guide.
Hearts sit third, eight points behind Celtic and four behind Rangers, and are unbeaten at home in the league for 26 games. Celtic and Rangers lead most key performance measures, while bottom-placed Kilmarnock have conceded 26 goals and scored joint-fewest; historically, teams with the league’s worst defence have usually finished last. Kilmarnock are level on points with Hibernian and only one behind Motherwell, so the relegation picture remains open.
In short
- Hearts have started strongly but face obstacles to sustaining their challenge.
- Celtic and Rangers lead most key performance measures.
- Kilmarnock’s defence is a major concern, but the relegation fight remains close.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Hearts’ early form suggests the established Celtic–Rangers duopoly could face a serious challenge: they are third, have a long unbeaten home run and have already shown they can compete with both. With the season still young and the teams below Kilmarnock closely grouped, current positions offer useful clues but do not settle how the title or relegation races will end.
The case against
The case for treating Hearts as a genuine title challenger is tempered by the eight-point gap to Celtic, the four-point gap to Rangers, injuries, European commitments and an uneven away record. Celtic and Rangers lead most key performance measures, while Kilmarnock’s defensive record is a substantial concern, even though the tight points gap means relegation is not yet decided.
Explained simply
The Scottish Premiership is Scotland’s top men’s football league, with 12 clubs each playing the others three times over the season. The first set of meetings gives an early measure of how teams compare, but clubs have played only 11 league games each, so positions and form can still change.
Celtic and Rangers have often dominated the league, while Hearts are among the clubs seeking to challenge them. A strong home record can help, but injuries, European matches and results away from home can make it harder to sustain a title challenge.
At the other end of the table, clubs face the risk of relegation, and a poor defence can leave a team vulnerable. With several sides close together on points, the fight to stay up is not yet settled.