Celtic

Celtic continued their 100% start to the season as the champions and Hearts experienced contrasting fortunes with VAR.

The visitors had a first-half penalty award overturned after Lawrence Shankland's header came off Liam Scales' arm.

And, after the break, Nicolas Kuhn's cross hit James Penrice's hand and the review resulted in record signing Arne Engels scoring his first Celtic goal from the spot.

Luke McCowan also opened his Celtic account with a late strike, confirming Hearts slipped a point adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

Were you in attendance or following from home? Click here, external to have your say on the match.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "By the rule, the officials were correct [to overturn the Hearts penalty award]. On the same token, if your arms up and the ball hits you, then it's going to be a penalty.

"[Reo Hatate] was the number one taker. That's the selflessness of Reo. The number two taker was Arne [Engels]. [Engels] stuck it away really well. A good performance by him.

"To be a Celtic supporter and get a goal at Celtic Park, what a special moment for [Luke McCowan] and his family."

"I'm really looking forward to [Wednesday's Champions League opener against Slovan Bratislava]. They're special nights here and we want to have a special result to get us up and running."

BBC Scotland's Andy Campbell

Celtic, who had led by the 17th minute in all of their previous games this season, met greater resistance in Hearts than previous opponents. Still, the home side were profligate.

Kyogo Furuhashi fired wide after being sent clean through before Reo Hatate's deflected shot was dealt with by veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

A quick throw-in by Alistair Johnston was flicked on by Kuhn for Arne Engels to control and shoot but the Belgian's effort rattled Gordon's left-hand post.

Kyogo was denied superbly by Gordon and Kuhn's follow-up was cleared off the line by Penrice.

The converted Engels penalty allowed Celtic the breathing space they sought and allowed Rodgers the chance to withdraw Kyogo, Hatate and Engels during the second half with Wednesday's match at home to Slovan Bratislava in mind.

Luke McCowan was one of the beneficiaries and Gordon could only get a hand to his shot in off the post.

And Adam Idah thought he had netted his first of the campaign in added time when he met a Greg Taylor cross but an offside against Luis Palma earlier in the move kept the score at 2-0.

Arne Engels looked assured in his first Celtic start and marked the occasion with his first club goal from the penalty spot.

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Arne Engels makes his first Celtic start after featuring as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Rangers before the international break. The Belgium midfielder replaces Paulo Bernardo, who is on the bench.

Defender Auston Trusty, who joined from Sheffield United before the transfer deadline, is also among the substitutes.

Three changes for Hearts. Gerald Taylor replaces the ill Frankie Kent while Blair Spittal and Yutaro Oda are benched in favour of Kye Rowles and Beni Baningime.

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Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, Engels, McGregor, Hatate, Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda.

Substitutes: Sinisalo, Trusty, Palma, Idah, Valle, McCowan, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston.

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, Taylor, Rowles, Halkett, Kingsley, Penrice, Baningime, Grant, Boateng, Shankland, Vargas.

Substitutes: Clark, Kent, Oyegoke, Devlin, Spittal, Forrest, Dhanda, Musa, Salazar.

New Poland cap Mateusz Bogusz has revealed he was in negotiations about a move from Los Angeles to Celtic before the deal fell through, but the Scottish champions could pursue a January transfer for the 23-year-old midfielder once the Major League Soccer season concludes. (Glasgow Times), external

Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov helped convince Scotland centre-half Liam Cooper to join CSKA Sofia after the 33-year-old's exit from Leeds United, the Bulgarian club's technical director, Filip Filipov, has revealed. (The Herald), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Celtic have a full squad, with several players overcoming issues that affected their international duties.

Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime is set to be in the squad for the first time this season after recovering from a knee injury but Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) remains sidelined.

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has expressed delight at his side's defensive work, saying doing the "dirty" side of the game well is helping them blow teams away at the other end.

The defending champions have conceded just once - in a 3-1 League Cup win over Hibs - in their opening five games of the season.

Should Celtic beat Hearts and keep a clean sheet on Saturday, they will match a 118-year club record by starting a league campaign with five straight wins without conceding.

"That's the dirty bit that isn't maybe noticed so much from the stands. From a coaching and players' perspective it's everything," said Rodgers.

"For me the defensive philosophy coincides with the attacking philosophy. Being defensively good gives you that opportunity to attack more and that's what we're seeing this season – that aggression, winning the duels, winning the second and third balls, all that dirty stuff is what allows you to attack more.

"If you neglect that, you don’t attack the same. Why? Because you won’t spend the same amount of time on the ball, because you’re defending more.

"So the better your counter-pressing, your defending, the tighter and more aggressive and more synchronised you are, gives you more opportunities to score goals.

"That side of it I'm so happy with at the moment. That's the edge we want to have. We made that agreement in the summer that it's defending first – and that's not a negative, that's to attack better.

"We want to keep a clean sheet and score loads of goals, but you can't always do that. But we've shown in this opening period that that's the mantra. To press well allows you to pass the ball well and create opportunities. Thus far it's been very good."

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Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media before Celtic face Hearts in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the key lines from the Celtic boss:

• Rodgers eased fears over Alistair Johnston's fitness, saying the right-back went off injured while playing for Canada as a "precaution" after feeling tightness in his leg and has trained with the Celtic squad on Friday.

• On reports Johnston is set for a new deal to make him one of the squad's top earners, Rodgers says: "Nothing that I am aware of. I would love to have him here as long as we can. He's got three-and-a-half years left on his deal and he is playing ever so well."

• Securing left-back Greg Taylor – who is out of contract next summer – is a "priority" for Celtic, with Rodgers saying: "He knows we really want him to stay and hopefully between his representatives and the club we can organise that because he is a player that I really rate."

• The manager is delighted with Celtic's business during the summer window to enhance the strength and depth of his squad.

• On Callum McGregor having a break during the international hiatus after his Scotland retirement, Rodgers says: "He looked great. He had a few days away. He looked fresh, he looked amazing to be fair! Hopefully he can keep his sequence of goals going."

• On Reo Hatate travelling with Japan but not getting any minutes, Rodgers "felt a wee bit for him" and hopes it will be a "great motivating factor". He adds that the midfielder has returned in positive mood and ready to work harder.

• Celtic aren't looking ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Slovan Bratislava, with the full focus on beating Hearts this weekend.

• On The VAR Review, where referee chief Willie Collum analyses key decisions and admitted Celtic should have had a penalty against Kilmarnock, Rodgers says: “I thought it was great… it can only be applauded. Transparency is what we all want."

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Captain Callum McGregor has been named Scottish Premiership player of the month for August after an instrumental role in Celtic's blistering start to the season.

The 31-year-old midfielder helped Celtic to four successive wins and is joint top of the league scoring chart with three goals, including stunning strikes against Hibs and Rangers.

Leaders Celtic, who have scored 12 and are yet to concede in the league so far, return to action at home to Hearts on Saturday.

Can struggling Hearts stun the champions in Glasgow on Saturday? Former Celtic and Scotland goallkeeper Gemma Fay doesn't fancy the visitors' chances.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers can develop summer signing Arne Engels into a future £40m transfer, reckons former England star Owen Hargreaves. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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• Celtic have won 24 of their last 26 home games against Hearts in all competitions (D1 L1), scoring 72 goals and conceding just 12 times.

• Hearts have won two of their last three Scottish Premiership games against Celtic.

• Celtic have won all four of their league games this season without conceding a single goal. Only in 1906-07 under Willie Maley have they ever won their opening five matches of a league campaign without conceding.

• With just one point from their opening four matches (D1 L3), this is Hearts’ poorest start to a top-flight campaign in the 21st century.

• Despite having the most shots of any player in the Scottish Premiership this season (17), Lawrence Shankland is yet to score for Hearts this term.

• However, Shankland’s six goals against Celtic in the league since the start of 2022-23 are the joint-most any player has against a single opponent in the top flight in this time.

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As a youngster, it was a simply a dream of Niall McGinn's to become a professional footballer, never mind sign for boyhood heroes Celtic.

In fact, the game of Gaelic football was his primary focus back in Northern Ireland until he signed his first professional contract with Derry City in 2008.

After impressing as a young forward in his homeland, McGinn was left in disbelief again amid a whirlwind start to his career when Celtic came calling.

At the same time, the former Aberdeen man, now of Greenock Morton, had his heart set on a move to Swansea following a trip to Wales to meet the club's former manager Roberto Martinez.

But interest from Celtic shifted that completely, then "there was only one place" for McGinn, who went on to play 36 times for the Parkhead side.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, McGinn recalled: "My agent told me Neil Lennon had been on the phone, straight away I had shivers.

"Paddy McCourt had moved from Derry the year before, so he was a big help. I settled in really well. [Lennon left] and Tony Mowbray came in and he was brilliant for me. I ended up playing a lot of football under him.

"In the space of 18 months I went from part-time football to making my international debut and my Celtic debut in front of 60,000 fans."

Despite leaving Celtic sooner than he would have liked, McGinn says he "made the most" of his spell with his boyhood club.

The forward would go on to enjoy success with Aberdeen, scoring 87 goals across 356 games, and his national team, gaining over 70 caps.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Four games, four wins, 12 points. Twelve goals scored and zero conceded.

It's safe to say Celtic have made a superb start to their title defence.

Throw in their League Cup win over Hibernian - though they did concede one in that tie - and it's a pretty perfect record before they return to action this weekend following the international hiatus.

While much of the success is in plain sight, scoring goals without conceding, you want to know the underlying numbers which are particularly eye-catching, don't you?

With help from Opta, we take a look at the stats Brendan Rodgers and his staff may be staring at with a smile.

In short, a lot of them. It's no real surprise Celtic dominate across the board.

From a frightening 169 touches in the opposition box from four games, to an overpowering average possession of 71.38%, to having 32 shots on target and facing just seven shots at the other end, Celtic have been in total control.

To put it into context, Rangers are next best in opposition touches (129) and possession (62.94%), while Aberdeen have only had 13 shots on goal.

Under Rodgers, there's long been an emphasis on not just collecting the three points, but the way in which they're delivered.

Quick, short pass and move has been a key part of the mantra, and with an astonishing 93.9% of short passes, Rodgers' ideas are being applied.

They've enjoyed 95 spells of 10 or more passes, 30 more than Rangers, and achieved 33 high turnovers. The pressing from the front has been impressive.

Only Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland has more (32) than Nicolas Kuhn's 31 touches in the opposition box, while the German winger has netted twice and contributed two assists, as well as ranking highly for dribbles completed (8).

Kuhn has been one of the brightest sparks in this Celtic side, arguably only Callum McGregor has shone more.

The captain has won back possession a league-high 33 times, while his defenders - Liam Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers - are the only two in the division who have completed more passes.

With three goals in four games, McGregor tops the scoring charts with Cyriel Dessers and Pape Gueye and perhaps most incredibly of all, has managed to soften the blow of Matt O'Riley's exit.

Celtic are set to open talks with Alistair Johnston over a new deal to bring the 25-year-old Canada right-back in line with the club's top earners. (Daily Record), external

Celtic wanted £2m for the permanent transfer of Gustaf Lagerbielke, but Twente could not afford to pay the fee before taking the centre-half on loan, according to the Dutch club's technical director, Arnold Bruggink. (Oosttribune podcast), external

Read all of Thursday's Scottish Gossip

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Celtic should have been awarded a penalty in their 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on the Premiership opening day, Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum has conceded.

Collum highlights eight controversial incidents - two involving Celtic - in The VAR Review, a new monthly show on the Scottish FA's YouTube channel.

Of those eight, the other major decision Collum concluded was wrong was Dundee United being denied a spot-kick in their 2-2 draw with Dundee.

But Collum, who assumed the role during the summer, said he was "content with the start we've made".

Celtic 4-0 Kilmarnock, 4 August

Kyogo Furuhashi collided with Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie as the Celtic striker met a free-kick chipped over the defence during the Glasgow side's win.

Referee Don Robertson and VAR officials concluded during the game that "the goalkeeper just makes himself big".

However, Collum said: "We believe this was the wrong decision. We have coached the referees and the VARs that a penalty kick should have been awarded here.

"It is an unexpected free-kick with the way the ball is chipped. It catches the on-field referee by surprise and it's very difficult for the referee to find an angle round that wall to get a proper view.

"The Celtic player clearly gets ahead and touches the ball past the goalkeeper and we then think the goalkeeper's actions are reckless. An off-field review should have been requested and the referee asked to come to the monitor."

Celtic 3-1 Hibs, 18 August

Celtic eased aside Hibs to reach the League Cup quarter-finals but felt they should have had a spot-kick when winger James Forrest was sandwiched between two visiting defenders.

However, Collum concluded that, although there was a coming together of upper bodies, referee Kevin Clancy and VAR officials were correct to say there was "not enough contact for a penalty" from centre-back Marvin Ekpiteta.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Five games played, five games won. Fifteen goals scored, just one conceded. And a first derby victory of the season emphatically claimed.

Whichever way you present the numbers, they all add up to a perfect start to the season for Celtic.

Having built up a very nice early head of steam, their progress may well gather yet more momentum as their next three games are all at home and therefore could create the platform from which the season really takes off.

Hearts are the first visitors to Glasgow's East End this weekend in a fixture that can surprisingly be described as top versus bottom.

Kilmarnock's inferior goal difference is the only thing propping the capital side up at the foot of the table while Celtic, with a rejuvenated Aberdeen for company, are racing away with things at the other end.

Should recent form be replicated, and Celtic prevail in front of their own fans, there would remarkably be an eight-point gap to Rangers, who don't play until Sunday lunchtime. An astonishing potential margin given we're not even a fortnight into September.

Then comes the real measure of Celtic's mettle. A winnable Champions League match.

While Slovan Bratislava are clearly a good side, and did well to come through qualifying, this is exactly the kind of game Brendan Rodgers will want to take all three points from if he's serious about making a dent in Europe's elite competition.

Getting the new format off to a winning start would be quite the statement from this new Celtic squad. Back-to-back home wins in the Champions League. There was near enough a decade between their previous two Glasgow wins, mind.

And then there's Rodgers' reunion with his old colleague John McGlynn, who was an analyst at Celtic during the Northern Irishman's first tenure.

It's highly likely the Parkhead boss won’t just enjoy the chance to catch up. If you’d asked him to shake on lower-level opposition at home for a place in a cup semi-final, he'd gladly have extended his arm. If the champions are too strong for Falkirk, they'll be on their way to Hampden with a place in the last four of the League Cup.

Those are the imminent dates circled in the Celtic manager's diary.

He's got a tick in the 'win' column for every game so far this season, and given the way he strengthened an already impressive-looking squad in the transfer window, he'll have every confidence he can extend the streak of victories from five to eight.

That would turn a good start into an ominous one for all of Celtic's domestic rivals.

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Adam Idah failed to live up to his 'super sub' nickname for his national team as Republic of Ireland were beaten by Greece for a second consecutive defeat in their Nations League campaign.

The Celtic striker, who was dropped to the bench after starting against England on Saturday, came on with just over five minutes of normal time remaining.

With little time to make an impact, Idah played out the final few minutes in Dublin as the host conceded a late second in a 2-0 defeat and they failed to score for the fifth game out of six in 2024.

It leaves Ireland pointless from their opening two games of Group B2 with pressure already mounting on new head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson who, somehow must improve their wretched run of just two wins in the last 18.

It was a better night for Portugal Under-21s, captained by Paulo Bernardo. Leading by example, the Celtic midfielder opened the scoring in their 2-0 win against Croatia which seals their spot in next summer's European Championships.

Former Scotland midfielder Barry Bannan would like a testimonial with Sheffield Wednesday after 10 years with the club and, as a Celtic fan, would love the Scottish champions or former club Aston Villa to be the opponents. (The Star), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip