Celtic go into Christmas nine points clear of Rangers and then there's a real stooshie going on behind the Old Firm, with a mere two points separating Aberdeen in third and Livingston in eighth.

Dundee United are stuck on the bottom of the pile and might just be feeling a bit sorry for themselves after a late penalty cost them the chance of nudging up a place.

Have a great day tomorrow and join us again on the 28th when all of the top flight clubs are back in action.

Hibs are at home to Celtic on Wednesday and manager Lee Johnson will hope his players take a lift from today's win.

"They are a phenomenal side and I don't want to be defeatist, so I won't be," Johnson told BBC Sportsound. "We will be positive. We won today and we'll do our very best to beat Celtic.

"Every man will need a 9/10 performance and you never know, we'll have a home crowd behind us and I'm really looking forward to it.

"We can't go at it kamikaze but we need to make sure we impact their box as much as possible."

Hibs boss Lee Johnson is mightily pleased after a convincing victory.

"Obviously, there's a touch of relief," he says. "It gets the monkey off the back in terms of the recent run.

"The players maintained belief, the staff maintained belief and it came together today very nicely.

"The sending off was a turning point but we were in the ascendency before it and then we went for the jugular.

"We needed to win and we're really happy to send the fans home for a nice Christmas."

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson tells BBC Sportsound that Craig Gordon has been taken to hospital, saying only "it's not looking great".

The Scotland goalkeeper was involved in a sickening collision with Steven Fletcher, with both players unable to continue.

"We played well in periods, lost a couple of poor goals and the game become a bit of a farce at the end with VAR and the decision-making by the officials. It was a very strange day, to say the least.

"The referee made a number of decisions that will be looked at tonight that I wasn't in agreement with. If a referee has to look at an incident 30 times, there's a problem somewhere. It's just not good enough and it's a real worry for us.

"We're devastated for him (Gordon), but he'll get through it. The big man is a warrior and we'll help him through. We'll see how he is in the next couple of days."

Image source, SNS

Here are those two remarkable penalty saves from Easter Road, with David Marshall denying Esmael Goncalves and Jack Fitzwater.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Dundee United stay bottom and Hearts stay fourth after an afternoon of high drama at Tannadice.

Steven Fletcher and Dylan Levitt scored fine goals for the home side, with Michael Smith levelling the first time and a Lawrence Shankland penalty in stoppage-time ensuring a share of the spoils.

That wasn't the first penalty awarded by referee Colin Steven, who overturned two earlier decisions after checking the monitor - one for each side.

Hearts lost defenders Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley to injuries and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon joined the list of casualties after a horrific collision with Steven Fletcher.

Lawrence Shankland tumbles and referee Colin Steven is pointing to the spot once again...

The BBC pundits reckon it's of the soft variety but it stands, unlike the other two decisions that were reversed after a check on the monitor.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Tannadice

Seven minutes of added time at Tannadice. I have to say I thought it would be more.

A big win for Hibs and a most welcome one too, coming after four successive defeats.

Jason Holt was sent off for the visitors after just 15 minutes and the hosts took full advantage, with goals from Kevin Nisbet, Chris Cadden and a Kyle Magennis double.

David Marshall made sure of a clean sheet against the 10 men with not one but two penalty saves in quick succession.

Image source, SNS

Now home goalkeeper Mark Birghitti goes into the book for time-wasting, just after Lawrence Shankland had two efforts blocked at the last by United, who are defending desperately.

The pressure is certainly on the hosts, who will move off the foot of the table if they hang on.

Tony Watt has been booked for dragging Michael Smith back around the halfway line...

Hearts will be absolutely desperate to get something from this game in which they have already lost so much in terms of injuries to key personnel.

And David Marshall saves again! This time from Jack Fitzwater.

The defender crashes it down the middle and the old goalie sticks out a trailing foot to block.

David Marshall saves from Esmael Goncalves - and saves the rebound. Then the ball pops up and hits Joe Newell on the arm.

Another pen!

Esmael Goncalves is clipped on the edge of the box.

That looks really, really nasty for Craig Gordon who's being stretchered from the field receiving oxygen.

Steven Fletcher has also gone off after being part of that collision.

Meanwhile, Colin Steven has overturned his penalty decision and it's now a free-kick to Hearts.

Zander Clark is on for his debut, and Tony Watt has replaced Fletcher.

Harry McKirdy and his lime green mohawk get in behind, but Livingston scramble and are able to block his scuffed shot.

St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson joked on BBC Sportsound that he picked the wrong day to have a go at the champions.

"It is really difficult. I didn't want to sit in for the whole game," he said. We are in a good place right now and we were trying to get the right balance between pressing and dropping off. I thought at times we did it well and at others, not so well.

"When it becomes 3-0 and Celtic have hurt you a bit you think, what do we do?

"I am really proud of the lads character in the second half. It would have been easy to put the heads down but we kept battling, trying to do the right things and I am really pleased we got a goal - I thought we deserved it.

"It was a tough game but we move on as we are in a really good place right now."

Image source, SNS

Craig Gordon and Steven Fletcher collide... Ouch!

It's a ball over the top that both are determined to reach and there's an almighty clattering... VAR will, obviously, check this.

Craig Gordon is still down receiving treatment... it looks really nasty. Meanwhile, Colin Steven is once again away to the screen.

Kyle Magennis and Kevin Nisbet are done for the afternoon - they have both been superb.

Elias Melkerson and Harry McKirdy replace them.

Slightly disappointing that McKirdy's mohawk is not done in Christmas pudding colours.