It’s Christmas! Almost. Before the presents are unwrapped on Monday, there is a full card of Scottish Premiership gifts to savour over the weekend.
Here are the games and names to look out for.
Game of the weekend – Hearts v St Mirren
It’s third versus fourth in the Premiership with the two sides on different trajectories in recent weeks.
St Mirren earned plenty of plaudits for their early season form and performances but they have since struggled, managing just two wins in their past nine outings.
That has allowed Hearts to overtake them on goal difference, despite some fans still not being convinced with the style and tactics under Steven Naismith.
Last weekend’s 2-0 win away to champions Celtic went some way to silencing the doubters – and establishing a three-point gap in third place would strengthen his case further.
Hearts will certainly fancy their chances given away form is St Mirren’s Achilles heel this season. Stephen Robinson’s Buddies arrive without a win in seven outside Paisley, losing five in a row and failing to score in the latest four.
Considering Hearts’ past three games have ended 1-0 – winning two and losing the other – do not expect a goal fest at Tynecastle.
Player to watch – Bojan Miovski (Aberdeen)
While manager Barry Robson would no doubt bristle at the suggestion Aberdeen are a one-man band, striker Bojan Miovski’s influence cannot be understated.
Trailing 1-0 to bottom club Livingston in midweek, it was Miovski who rode to the rescue with two goals that turned possible defeat into vital victory for the Dons as they moved up to eighth in the table.
That made it 14 goals for the season for the forward who has continued to shine brightly despite the Dons’ struggles.
Rumours of a possible January move to Celtic continue to swirl and Dundee at Dens Park is the North Macedonia international’s next assignment.
Manager in the spotlight – Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)
It might appear churlish to suggest the Premiership leaders’ manager is under pressure. However, such is the burden Brendan Rodgers must endure in the Celtic hotseat when the reigning champions hit a sticky patch. Especially when their city rivals are on the up.
Rangers have gone 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, 15 of which have been under new boss Philippe Clement, and have narrowed the gap to two points with a game in hand.
Lifting the first trophy of the season after beating Aberdeen in Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final has further fuelled the feelgood factor at Ibrox.
Celtic, meanwhile, having already lost to Kilmarnock the week before, fell one short of a club record 53rd home league game unbeaten when losing 2-0 to Hearts last weekend.
They are now looking to avoid a third straight top-flight defeat for the first time since 1994 and, the Champions League dead rubber win over Feyenoord apart, performances have lacked the intensity and fluency for which Celtic had become famed under predecessor Ange Postecoglou.
Rodgers will be delighted that next up are Livingston, although the visit of the side rock bottom of the table is a double-edged sword should they stumble again.
That would surely be unthinkable considering David Martindale’s side have not won in nine games. Indeed, the West Lothian side have never won at Celtic Park.
They have sometimes proved troublesome visitors down the years, garnering three goalless draws amid 16 defeats, but even Martindale would concede they are not as strong as they were when the latest of those came soon after a victory at Tony Macaroni Arena in 2021.
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