Celtic have won all four of their Premiership away games this season.

The last side to win each of their opening five away matches of a campaign in the competition were Celtic themselves during Brendan Rodgers’ first spell in charge in 2017-18.

They won their first seven on the road that term.

The players are out at Tynecastle.

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Image source, SNS

Celtic’s Matt O’Riley was presented with the September player of the month award earlier in the week.

He's been involved in more Premiership goals than any other player this season.

Five goals and two assists in eight games. No bad.

Brendan Rodgers is making his first trip to Tynecastle in more than five years today.

It's a ground at which he had mixed fortunes at during his first spell with Celtic, winning three - one of which clinched a league title - and losing two of his five visits to Gorgie.

In fact, those two Tynecastle defeats make up 25% of the eight Premiership losses he has suffered as Celtic boss.

A 4-0 stuffing in December 2017 ended a record-breaking 69-game unbeaten run.

But since then, it's been just two Hearts wins in 22 meetings across all competitions.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Sportsound: "I always enjoy coming to Tynecastle, the hostile atmosphere.

"We recognise this as one of the biggest games in the country and the best players always rise to that.

"It's about finding a rhythm but we have seven games in 21 days, so the team won't stay the same.

"We want to be as intense and relentless as we can be every time, so it's about managing that energy."

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So on that 4-3 game last season, which was exactly a year ago today. Imagine that.

There might've been seven goals, but VAR took centre stage on its debut weekend.

Two goals from Lawrence Shankland - one from the spot after Scottish football's first on-field review - put Hearts ahead after James Forrest's opener.

Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda then turned the game back in Celtic's favour and, although Shankland completed his hat-trick from the spot after a VAR-influenced retake, Greg Taylor slid in to grab the winner.

A Premiership classic.

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I'm sure you'll all be rushing to send your congratulations to the VAR troops for a flawless first year...

Here's to another 12 months 🤝

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith tells BBC Sportsound: "The minimum requirement against the top teams in the league is that you compete and you carry a threat. We must have that.

"We showed up well in the first 45 minutes of last season's game. We need to defend well and be organised and I'm confident we can get something from the game.

"Building something that lasts takes time. It takes making mistakes and learning not to make the same mistakes.

"I want to be judged on how this team improves and we're getting there. I believe in this squad. They are hungry to get better."

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Meanwhile, Hearts could be doing with their talismanic striker ending an eight-game run without a goal today.

Lawrence Shankland has five strikes to his name so far this term, but the last of those came in August and just one has come in the league.

He did manage a hat-trick in this fixture last season though, albeit Hearts ended up losing 4-3 in a cracking game.

More on that shortly...

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Kyogo Furuhashi boasts an incredible record against Hearts.

Since making his Celtic debut off the bench in a 2-1 defeat in Gorgie in July 2021, the 28-year-old has faced the Tynecastle men seven times and scored in them all, with his side winning the lot.

Frankie Kent has been well warned about the danger posed by Kyogo. Now he's tasked with doing something about it.

"All of the boys have said how sharp he is," the Hearts defender said.

"You just have to do the best you can, be on your A-game and stay concentrated, that's what I'll be trying to do.

"It isn't all about one striker or me, or someone else, or individuals, it's going to be about the team performance."

Rangers cut the gap at the top to four points yesterday as Philippe Clement's side thrashed Hibs 4-0 in the new Ibrox boss' first game.

A win today for Celtic will obviously restore their seven-point advantage.

Brendan Rodgers names an unchanged Celtic XI following a 3-1 home win over Kilmarnock last time out.

Daizen Maeda has shaken off a knock to start up top, but centre-half Maik Nawrocki doesn't feature in the squad despite suggestions he might be ready to return from a hamstring injury.

Cameron Carter-Vickers starts again in defence, but still no Stephen Welsh or Liel Abada.

For Hearts, it is just one change to the side which started a wild Edinburgh derby two weeks ago.

The switch comes at left-back as Stephen Kingsley drops out with a groin issue, but he's replaced by the returning Alex Cochrane.

Cochrane is making his first appearance in over a month, while Yutaro Oda also comes back into a matchday squad for the first time since September.

BBC Radio Scotland

We've also got you covered on the radio today, folks.

The Sportsound gang are under way on BBC Radio Scotland and they'll provide live match commentary from Tynecastle.

If you're sound with sticking me here, you can just press play at the top of this page.

Hearts XI: Clark, Sibbick, Kent, Rowles, Cochrane, Nieuwenhof, Devlin, Lowry, Vargas, Forrest, Shankland.

Substitutes: McGovern, Haring, Baningime, Grant, Boyce, Oda, Halliday, Denholm, Offiah.

Celtic XI: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, O'Riley, Hatate, Palma, Maeda, Kyogo.

Substitutes: Bain, Phillips, Yang, Turnbull, Oh, Tomoki, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston.

Team news, anyone?

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A very good afternoon to you all.

The Premiership weekend comes to a close with a Sunday belter, and you can follow every moment right here.

Hearts host leaders Celtic at what will surely be a bouncing Tynecastle in about 45 minutes.

So get the feet up and enjoy if you can. We'll take care of the rest.

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