#scottish-premiership

#scottish-premiership

No prizes for guessing this one. Our pick for game of the weekend could not be anywhere else as the Premiership's top two face off at Tynecastle with a five-point gap wedged between them. Chat of a title challenge from Hearts is becoming more serious by the week, while Celtic appear to be on the verge of a crisis. Defeat for Brendan Rodgers' men, who beat Sturm Graz on Thursday, would stretch open a scarcely-believable eight-point advantage for Derek McInnes' side.

A deal to appoint Kevin Muscat as Russell Martin's successor collapsed because the former Rangers defender wants to complete the Chinese Super League season with current club Shanghai Port. (Daily Record), external Rangers have intimated they are now not prepared to wait until December for Muscat, putting Rohl firmly back on the agenda. (The Scotsman), external Muscat is believed to have concerns over the recruitment model at Rangers. (TalkSport)

Momentum is hard to gather when the season is as stop-start as this. A second international window is on the way next week, with another to follow in November. Following another miserable midweek of European football for our clubs, focus returns to the Scottish Premiership and top-flight teams will be keen to enter the latest break on high. With a tasty derby tussle at Tynecastle taking centre stage, we also shine a light on a Motherwell man making moves and manager who remains under pressure.

Livingston first team coach Marvin Bartley revealed "there was a bit of an argument" between the dugouts during Sunday's defeat by Rangers. (Clyde 1 via Sun, external) Former Rangers defender Arthur Numan is still upset about the red card he received when the Ibrox side lost to Sturm Graz in 2000, with the sides facing each other again in Austria this week. (Record), external

Four draws and a defeat has Martin's side one point behind their West Lothian hosts - albeit having played a game fewer - in their worst league start in 48 years. Rangers are winless in six league games - stretching back into last season - (D5 L1), the joint-longest run in their entire history (level with six other runs of six, most recently in December 2005).

Last seen marking their return from September's international break with a 1-1 stalemate at home against Motherwell, the Dark Blues have failed to win any of their first five top-flight appearances and they have put just a trio of points on the board. Getting this weekend's fixtures underway sat down in 11th-place, the former Carlisle boss has a major job on his hands.

A leaked document reveals one of the metrics potential Leeds signings are based on is the ability to score headers from set-pieces, which could explain Rangers emphasis on players over 6ft in the summer window. (Scottish Sun), external Sebastian Tounekti's upbringing on the freezing pitches of Tromso have given him a toughness that will prepare him for life at Celtic. (Scottish Sun), external "Data and conversations" led St Johnstone to sign winger Jannik Wanner from St Johnstone, says manager Simo Valakari. (The Courier), external

It's been a tremendous journey throughout the past two years and I'm incredibly pleased with what we've built here. I said when I arrived that I wanted to give the supporters a team that they can be proud of and I believe, as a collective, we have achieved that thus far. We're building something sustainable, something with identity, and I truly believe we're only scratching the surface of what we can achieve together.

Image source, Getty Images Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet has returned to Aberdeen from Millwall for a fee in the region of 300,000 and on a three-year deal. The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Pittodrie but has now has signed a three-year contract with the Scottish Premiership club. Nisbet, who has 11 caps for his country, was sold to Millwall by Hibernian in summer 2023, signing a three-year contract.

Rangers and Celtic rounded off a difficult week for both teams by playing out a dour 0-0 draw that will do little to ease the pressure on either Russell Martin or Brendan Rodgers. The Old Firm pair were each humiliated in the Champions League, Celtic beaten on penalties by Kairat as they exited the competition in the playoff round, with Rangers also failing to reach the league phase as a 6-0 loss to Club Brugge condemned them to a 9-1 aggregate defeat.

For some, the real derby of the weekend is at Dens Park. It needs no introduction. If Sunday's edition is anything like the last Dundee derby - when the Dark Blues won at Tannadice in March for the first time since 2004 - we are in for a treat. Then guided by Tony Docherty, Dundee stunned their neighbours with an astounding first-half performance that had them three goals to the good.