What we've learned about each Premiership club so far
- Published
There's been no shortage of drama in the first four rounds of fixtures in the new Scottish Premiership season.
Aberdeen and Celtic both have 100% records at the top of the table, while Hibernian, Ross County, Hearts and Kilmarnock are all yet to win in the league.
With top-flight action set to return after the international break, BBC Sport Scotland takes a look at what we have learned from every club so far this term.
1. Celtic - Still the team to beat
Daizen Maeda's goal helped Celtic to a 3-0 league victory over Rangers earlier this month
Before a ball was kicked, Brendan Rodgers' side were heavy favourites to retain their title, and nothing so far has changed that perception.
They have scored 12 goals - more than any other side - and are yet to concede.
Rangers were swept aside in the first Old Firm derby of the season, and a full pre-season under Rodgers looks to have improved Celtic both in and out of possession.
They are averaging over 71% possession, have had 169 touches in the opposition box across the four games and are winning the ball back in dangerous areas, with more high turnovers than any other side.
Nicolas Kuhn looks to have settled into life in Glasgow after a tough start last season, and Callum McGregor has led from the front with three goals from midfield, softening the blow of Matt O'Riley's departure.
2. Aberdeen - Thelin makes immediate impact
Watch Kevin Nisbet's late winner at Ross County, which earned Aberdeen a ninth win in nine games under Jimmy Thelin.
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Aberdeen needed stability and guidance after Barry Robson's sacking and Neil Warnock's chaotic spell in interim charge last term and turned to Jimmy Thelin.
The Swede has given hope and excitement back to the fans with nine wins from his first nine games in charge, four of those coming in the Premiership.
He has made just two changes to his starting XI across those four games, allowing his preferred team to gel, and the benefits have been obvious.
Aberdeen have created 11 big chances, only behind Celtic and Rangers, and their eight goals scored comfortably outweighs their expected-goals value of 5.4.
Five different players have chipped in with goals, which is a positive sign as they look to replace Bojan Miovski's threat up front.
Thelin will face tougher tests in the weeks to come, but he has passed with flying colours so far.
3. Dundee Utd - Solid start built on defence
Jim Goodwin's side have two wins and two draws from their first four games after last season's Championship triumph.
Their positive start has largely been built on a solid defence, having conceded three goals after switching to a back three - the third-best record in the division.
New signings Will Ferry, David Babunski and Kristijan Trapanovski have all impressed, as part of a considerable squad overhaul.
Ferry has won possession 29 times - bettered only by Celtic's McGregor - and also ranks highly for tackles made (10) - both crucial for a side who have averaged just 40.45% possession in the league.
4. Rangers - Doubts remain over Clement's rebuild
Philippe Clement "convinced" Rangers can still challenge Celtic for the Premiership title.
Since Philippe Clement replaced Michael Beale as Rangers manager, he has stressed the scale of the rebuild needed at Ibrox.
Almost a year on, Rangers still look a long way short of competing for the Premiership title, as evidenced by their 3-0 defeat at Parkhead.
They were swamped by Celtic in the first half, outplayed and outfought by their city rivals, a result and performance that provoked anger from the fans.
Clement pointed to stats after the game to suggest the contest was closer than the scoreline suggested, but only results will appease frustrations.
Rangers signed 11 players over the summer - 12 departed - but they don't look any closer to Celtic as a result, and without Champions League football the financial gap between the clubs will continue to grow.
If Clement is to compete for the title, he needs to maximise the resources at his disposal, and he needs to find a way to beat Celtic when the sides meet again - a feat he is yet to manage in five games.
5. Motherwell - Set pieces help offset injury woes
Motherwell sit fifth on seven points, a healthy return given their injury troubles.
Stuart Kettlewell has seven first-team players missing, but his depleted squad has shown impressive resilience in the face of such adversity.
They have maximised set-piece opportunities, with Lennon Miller's delivery pivotal, particularly in last month's win over Hearts.
Indeed, four of the Fir Park side's last five league goals have come from dead-ball situations, including Moses Ebiye's stoppage-time winner in Perth last time out.
The Nigerian striker's extra-time goal against Kilmarnock in the League Cup also came from a cross-ball scenario, although that was from open play.
6. Dundee - Cameron can become main man
Luke McCowan shone in midfield for Dundee last season as they secured a top-six Premiership finish, and was snapped up by Celtic on deadline day.
However, Tony Docherty still has the talents of Mo Sylla and Scotland Under-21s midfielder Lyall Cameron at his disposal.
Cameron is technically superb, finds space with clever movement, and has already created eight chances in the league this season, with two of those ending in goals.
With Sylla breaking up play alongside him, and the ever-willing Simon Murray up front, Cameron looks likely to add plenty more assists to his name as the season goes on.
7. St Mirren - Paisley men punch above weight
European qualifiers often directly hamper teams' domestic form, but St Mirren sit seventh in the Premiership after a steady enough start to the season.
A win over Valur set up a tie against Brann, which proved a step too far, but on a shoestring budget, Stephen Robinson continues to drive the Paisley side forward.
An opening-day league win over Hibernian and a battling 2-2 draw at Dens Park saw St Mirren take four points from six amid a hectic schedule.
They will back themselves to kick on now with more time to recover in between matches.
8. St Johnstone - Sidibeh & Kimpioka give hope
St Johnstone have won one and lost three of their four games, but in Adama Sidibeh and Benjamin Kimpioka they have cause for optimism.
Both are in the top 10 for shots taken so far and only Lawrence Shankland has more touches in the opposition box than Kimpioka (31).
The Swedish striker is also the most fouled player in the Premiership and has completed seven dribbles, the third most of any player.
His burgeoning partnership with Sidibeh is what St Johnstone fans will look to as Craig Levein looks to steer them to safety once more.
9. Hibernian - Gray struggling to get tune
Hibernian players underestimating Scottish football, says former player Marvin Bartley.
When Hibs made David Gray head coach on a permanent basis, they hoped he would be the man to end years of managerial turmoil.
However, he was handed a bloated squad that he has struggled to get a tune out of.
They have struggled to create chances, with their nine shots on target the joint-fewest in the league with Kilmarnock.
A reason for that might be down to how regularly they cough up possession - they have only had three sequences of 10 or more passes across all four league games.
Defensively, things haven't been much better. They have shipped the second-most goals in the league with eight.
Failing to create and regularly conceding is hardly a recipe for success, but someone needs to be given time to turn the chaos to calm. Will Gray will be that person?
10. Ross County - Can Hale fill Murray's boots?
Ronan Hale reacts to his first Premiership goal in Ross County's 1-1 draw against Dundee United.
After staying up via the play-offs last season, County's start has been far from inspiring.
They have just one goal and two points from four outings, but striker Ronan Hale might be the man to change both those statistics for the better.
Having signed from Cliftonville in the summer, he scored three in three League Cup games, and got off the mark in the Premiership against Dundee United.
He was unfortunate to see a penalty saved in the defeat by Aberdeen, but his seven shots on target are the joint-most in the league, level with Celtic's Kyogo and Rangers' Cyriel Dessers.
If he continues to get in good positions and get shots away, more goals could follow for the 25-year-old, who has been tasked with replacing Murray, who left for Dundee.
11. Hearts - Shankland yet to fire
Hearts' third-place league finish last season was largely down to the goals and all-round influence of their captain and talisman Lawrence Shankland.
The Scotland striker scored 31 goals in all competitions, with 21 of those in the Premiership, but is yet to find the net this season.
Without Shankland's goals, Steven Naismith's side have endured a dismal start, taking just one point from their opening four league games.
With pressure building on the Hearts head coach, he needs Shankland to find form, and fast.
12. Kilmarnock - European travels weigh heavy
How did he not score? Kilmarnock's Kyle Vassell with a horror miss against Hibernian.
Derek McInnes' side have faced Cercle Brugge, Tromso and Copenhagen in three two-legged ties already this season, and have paid for that brutal schedule.
The Rugby Park side are bottom of the Premiership with one goal scored and 10 conceded - both the worst in the division.
Still, much like St Mirren, Kilmarnock will expect results to improve now they don't have Thursday matches to factor in.
They have underperformed in both defence and attack to this point. Their xG of 4.88 suggests they are creating good chances, but are struggling to convert, while their xG-against of 6.88 suggests opponents have been finishing at a high level.
McInnes will have been thankful for the international break, and will hope that fresher legs lead to an upturn in performances in both boxes in the weeks to come.