Five games that won Celtic the title

Steven Gerrard arrived at Celtic Park with his Rangers side unbeaten in the 13 games he had taken charge of since his arrival in the summer, but he left tasting defeat as Ibrox boss for the first time.

It may have been a narrow scoreline, but Olivier Ntcham’s strike just after the hour was scant reward for Celtic’s dominance of proceedings.

But for Allan McGregor in the Rangers goal, it could have been a whole lot more for Celtic, and after an underwhelming start to the campaign by their own high standards this performance felt as though the champions were really clicking back into gear.

Celtic 1 Aberdeen 0

29th September 2018

It may have been another narrow win, but it was also yet another reminder to a side who had designs on rivalling Celtic for the title that they were able to raise their game when a challenge was presented.

Celtic had gone into the game on the back of some poor league form, drawing with St Mirren and losing to Kilmarnock, so three points was not only a must to keep Aberdeen in check, but to get their faltering form back on track.

As it was, Scott Sinclair’s backheel was enough to serve notice that while teams may have been smelling blood in this early part of the season, Celtic were still more than equipped to raise their game at the crucial time.

Celtic 5 Hearts 0

3rd November 2018

This match was another classic example of Celtic bringing a challenger back down to earth with a resounding thumping. They went on to do the same to Kilmarnock later in the season with a 5-1 win, as they flexed their muscles as if to underline their superiority.

Hearts came to Celtic Park in early November as the league leaders, but they were sent back to Edinburgh with their confidence hugely dented as the imperious hosts turned in a five-star showing.

The match came during Celtic’s most fluent run of form all season, with the five goals in this match taking them to a whopping total of 22 in just five league games.

Another ominous sign for the pretenders to Celtic’s crown.

Aberdeen 3 Celtic 4

26th December 2018

Four goals in a crazy closing seven minutes on Boxing Day at Pittodrie saw Celtic edge out Aberdeen once again, with Scott Sinclair again proving a thorn in the side of the Dons by hitting a hat-trick.

Celtic had moved ahead early on only to be pegged back by Stevie May midway through the first-half, and that is how it stayed until the 76th minute, when Sinclair’s second put Celtic ahead.

Sam Cosgrove’s penalty levelled things with just seven minutes left on the clock, but two quickfire goals from Sinclair and Odsonne Edouard rendered Lewis Ferguson’s 90th minute consolation meaningless.

It was the champions’ fifth successive win at Pittodrie, and the victory moved them three points clear of closest challengers Rangers with a game in hand.

Celtic 2 Rangers 1

31st March 2019

This match was important not only for Celtic to gain a measure of revenge over Rangers for the defeat at Ibrox between Christmas and New Year, but for the champions to put the final nail in the coffin of any lingering hopes Rangers may have had of challenging for the Premiership.

With Neil Lennon now in interim charge following the departure of Brendan Rodgers to Leicester, Celtic made heavy weather of a game they looked to be in total control of following Edouard’s opening goal and Alfredo Morelos’s petulant red card just four minutes later.

The 10 men of Rangers stunned Celtic Park in the second half though as Ryan Kent levelled, only for James Forrest to pop up late on and kill the title race stone dead with the coolest of finishes.

That moved Celtic into a virtually unassailable 13-point lead at the top of the standings, and from then on it was a matter of if, and not when, they would wrap up an eighth successive title.