St.Mirren 0-0 St Johnstone
Gully Singh
BBC Sport Scotland at The SMiSA Stadium
It's the home fans making a fair noise, with the drum reverberating around Paisley.
They'll be encouraged by their performance at Pittodrie and hope to continue it on their home patch.
Kyle Girvan
The League 2 leaders fall behind early to third-top Elgin.
Liam McLeish
Andy Winter
Cameron Ross
St Mirren 0-0 St Johnstone
First chance for St Mirren as Mikael Mandron is played through by a brilliant Caolan Boyd-Munce ball.
The striker bares down on goal, but when he strikes, goalkeeper Ross Sinclair makes a good save.
The flag goes up to spare Mandron's blushes, but the replay reveals it was very tight.
Hibernian 0-0 Aberdeen
Half-chance for Aberdeen as Leighton Clarkson's timid snapshot is easily stopped by goalkeeper Jordan Smith.
It's been a pretty cagey start at Easter Road. That was the first sight of some attacking football so far.
Dundee 0-0 Heart of Midlothian
A reaction stop from Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson keeps out returning striker Lawrence Shankland.
James Penrice's bouncing ball is glanced goal-ward by the Hearts captain, but Carson is at hand to swat the ball to safety.
Hibernian 0-0 Aberdeen
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Easter Road
Despite the dismal run of form from Aberdeen, the fans have turned out again in great numbers. Around 1,800 have made the trip to the Capital and already in full voice backing their team.
Dundee 0-0 Heart of Midlothian
Hearts forward Elton Kabangu squanders the opportunity to burst beyond the Dundee backline after the home defence is caught out on the counter. The ball ends up at the feet of winger Musa Drammeh, who is dispossessed after hesitating on the ball.
The hosts have twice raced forward down the right flank either side of the early Hearts attack, but they have failed to make the most of either delivery into the box.
James Hilton
First goal of the day is in League 1, with bottom side Dumbarton taking an early lead.
We're getting under way at grounds around the country.
Stay with us for the action in three Premiership games and goal updates from the other leagues.
Dundee v Heart of Midlothian (15:00)
Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Dens Park
It was interesting to hear Hearts boss Neil Critchley talk about Lawrence Shankland hopefully being 'fresh' after his recent lay off in his pre-match interview. We will find out as he makes his first start since late December.
One thing that appears certain is he will have plenty of energy up beside him in the form of recent signing Elton Kabangu, who looks like he is going to be a real handful for the country's defenders.
As for Dundee, they are returning to action after having an enforced weekend off. I asked manager Tony Docherty if, given the excellent run they have been on, this was a good or a bad thing - he said both.
Bad in that when you are in good form you want the games to come thick and fast but good in terms of helping get back some of the players who have been out injured.
Image source, SNSCan Lawrence Shankland add to his three goals this season?
Hibernian v Aberdeen (15:00)
The last time Aberdeen visited Easter Road, the hosts were at the bottom of the table, 23 points adrift of a Dons side just two behind Celtic at the top.
Little did we know that the dramatic 3-3 draw in which three goals were scored in stoppage time would signal a revival for the hosts while the Dons' results have dropped like a stone in the opposite direction.
Hibs have lost just once in 11 outings since, are unbeaten in nine, six at home, and are up to sixth place, their eight-game unbeaten run currently being the longest in the top flight as pressure has eased on head coach David Gray.
In contrast, the Dons have won once in 14 outings overall - away to League 2 side Elgin City in the Scottish Cup - lost 3-1 at home to today's hosts in December and another defeat would lift Hibs to within two points of Jimmy Thelin's fourth-top side.
Read this weekend's Premiership Picks.
Image source, SNSThere's no disguising Nicky Cadden's recent fine form for Hibs
Hamilton Academical v Ayr United (15:00)
Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland at New Douglas Park
This is a big day for Ayr.
Yes, there are 14-odd games to go. Yes, Falkirk have a game in hand. Yes, it’ll be a tight three-horse race, with Livingston involved too.
But today an Ayr win puts them in that front-runner spot and it says to their challengers that the Honest Men are serious contenders in this fascinating title tussle.
Eighth-placed Hamilton are in need of a pick-me-up after three consecutive league defeats.
Dundee v Heart of Midlothian (15:00)
Despite Dundee and Hearts still only being eighth and ninth, and level on points, they are two of the Premiership's form teams.
The hosts' four games without defeat is no mean feat considering two of them were against the big two - draws with Rangers and Celtic - and the other a derby win over United, albeit all three were at home.
In saying that, because that win was in the Scottish Cup, Tony Docherty's side remain without a home win in four in the league, while Hearts are four unbeaten on the road.
Indeed, Neil Critchley's visitors are without a loss in six after lifting themselves clear of the foot of the table.
Image source, SNSElton Kabangu has been in good form since joining Hearts
St Mirren v St Johnstone (15:00)
St Johnstone owner Adam Webb admitted this week that, despite last weekend's win over Motherwell, the seven-point gap between themselves and second-bottom Kilmarnock means he has to make contingency plans for possible relegation.
However, he doubled down on the summer appointment of Simo Valakari, even saying "I can't be happier" with the manager appointed this summer.
Webb is also backing his manager in the transfer market, with two new arrivals this week and centre-half Jack Sanders, sold to MK Dons, being the latest to exit as the Finn reshapes his squad.
That should take some of the pressure off, but the American businessman also stressed that he and Valakari have not given up hope of avoiding relegation and that two victories over Well - first in the Scottish Cup and then the league - prove "he's doing the right things to get us to the right place" despite previous results.
Scottish Premiership
Those of you who understand these expected goals statistics might be interested to know that Dundee have scored 37 goals from 25.5xG in the Premiership this season.
Their overperformance of 11.5 is by far the biggest of any side in the competition in 2024-25 - Celtic being the next best with 3.8.
Hibs, meanwhile, have scored 35 goals from 39.2xG, a difference of -4.2.
Only Kilmarnock (-4.5) are underperforming more based on their xG in the top flight this term.
St Mirren v St Johnstone (15:00)
Two sides meet in Paisley after back-to-back wins they hope mean they have turned a significant corner.
Seventh-placed hosts St Mirren ended their four-game losing streak by scoring three times in each of two away victories against Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup and Aberdeen in the league.
Bottom-of-the-table St Johnstone beat Motherwell twice, in the cup and league, to end a run of nine games without a win.
However, the visitors have not won in six away games, losing five of them, and have not won in Paisley in 10 visits since December 2018.
Image source, SNSSimo Valakari has handed Elliot Watt his St Johnstone debut
Hibernian v Aberdeen (15:00)
Hibernian head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland: “I think it shows we've had a level of consistency in performances recently [naming same starting XI].
“We've also got a strong bench to come on and affect the game.
Gray admits the previous six-goal thriller with Aberdeen helped turn their season around.
“I think when you look at from where we were at that point, I think someone said to me the live scoreboard with 30 seconds to go was 28 points," he says..
“That's the challenge to the players right now, which is we win the game today and you can go a couple of points behind them.
“It'll be a difficult game. I know they've been on a poor run of late, but there's also a side in there that have put a really good start to the season.”
Image source, SNSMartin Boyle starts in an unchanged Hibs side
Hearts continued their recent resurgence after a rampant 6-0 Scottish Premiership win over a hapless Dundee extended their unbeaten run to six league games.
The visitors were coasting after two first-half strikes in two minutes from Lawrence Shankland and Blair Spittal, before a second-half double from Elton Kabangu and goals from Musah Drammeh and Kenneth Vargas sealed a commanding victory.
Victory moves Neil Critchley's side above Dundee into seventh in the division and to within a point of the top six.
Much was expected from a game in which two of the Premiership's form teams were going head to head.
Hearts took charge from the off and their captain Shankland - making his first start since the end of December - opened the scoring with a magnificent turn and shot for just his fourth goal of the season.
Spittal scored an even better effort moments later, lashing the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box to double the capital club's advantage.
Hearts could have been further ahead at break, had it not been for Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson, who produced several excellent saves.
The hosts' only chance of the first half saw Simon Murray head straight at Craig Gordon from a few yards out.
It was game over early in the second half when Kabangu got on the end of Shankland's sumptuous defence-splitting pass, before cooly slotting the ball under Carson to make it 3-0.
Dundee's abject afternoon was summed up on 66 minutes when Carson dropped the ball whne trying to claim a cross and Musa Drammeh had the easiest of tasks to prod the ball home from close range.
Kabangu got his second, and Hearts' fifth, with a stunning volley from 16 yards, before Kenneth Vargas completed the rout in injury time with a drilled low shot.
After their woeful start to the campaign, this game provided further evidence Hearts are a team heading in the right direction.
To come to Dens against an in-form Dundee - a venue where each of the top three in the Premiership have failed to win – and leave with the points is a fine achievement.
However it was the manner of this ruthless win which was particularly impressive.
Neil Critchley's side are now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions. The challenge now is to keep that sort of form going.
If they can, a season that looked like it was going to deliver very little could yet yield plenty.
And while it has not been a campaign to remember so far Shankland, he looked in the mood here. Whatever the future holds for him, he could have a big part to play between now and the summer if he can build on this display.
This has been been a strange season for Dundee. They are in the mix for a European place but are also having to look over their shoulder with the relegation play-off place a concerning vision in their rear-view mirror.
Tony Docherty's team have shown enough of late to suggest they will be able to get themselves away from things at the wrong end of the table.
But, like a number of other teams in a similar predicament, that lingering concern will remain hovering on the horizon until they do.
While things certainly didn't go according to plan here – with players like Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan in their ranks – you do feel it wont be too long before Dundee find themselves back winning.
But the manner of this defeat will undoubtedly be a real cause for concern for Docherty, who must find a way of lifting his players for their daunting-looking midweek trip to Celtic.
Dundee manager Tony Docherty: "For all the credit we got for recent performances, we now deserve a lot of criticism, and I deserve a lot of criticism because I lead the group. I apologise to the Dundee fans.
"It is a new group, a very young team. It can happen. It is important to learn from that. It is my job to improve on that performance. The fans should not see that type of performance."
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley: "It is not often you win away from home in the fashion we have done today. Some of the goals we scored were fantastic goals. We were clinical on the break and we kept the clean sheet, which is always a good sign.
"Maybe [Shankland] just needed that little break to freshen himself up physically and mentally. He has looked sharper in his mind in training. It is no surprise he scored like that today."
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 64 | 11 | 53 | 60 |
| |
| 2 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 19 | 28 | 50 |
| |
| 3 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 37 |
| |
| 4 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 38 | -6 | 35 |
| |
| 5 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 33 |
| |
| 6 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 39 | -10 | 31 |
| |
| 7 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 30 |
| |
| 8 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 30 | 39 | -9 | 30 |
| |
| 9 | 25 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 40 | -12 | 28 |
| |
| 10 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 37 | 47 | -10 | 27 |
| |
| 11 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 43 | -19 | 26 |
| |
| 12 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 28 | 48 | -20 | 21 |
|
Manager: Tony Docherty
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Neil Critchley
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Tony Docherty
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Neil Critchley
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
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Dundee have won two of their last three home games against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership (L1) – as many as their previous eight beforehand (W2 D1 L5).
Heart of Midlothian have won four of their last five Scottish Premiership games against Dundee (L1), scoring 12 goals in this time (2.4 per game).
Since winning three successive home league games in November/December, Dundee are winless in their last four on home turf (D2 L2), although have drawn with the Scottish Premiership’s top two sides in their last two such games (1-1 v Rangers, 3-3 v Celtic).
Only Rangers (4 wins, 14 points) picked up more wins and points in the Scottish Premiership in January than Heart of Midlothian (3 wins, 10 points).
Dundee have scored 37 goals from 25.5 expected goals in the Scottish Premiership this season, with their overperformance of 11.5 by far the biggest of any side in the competition in 2024-25 (Celtic closest with 3.8).
