The chaos continues elsewhere in Glasgow, but for Scottish champions Celtic, it’s all looking rather rosy right now, following yet another dominant 4-0 victory – this time over St Johnstone.
Just a matter of days on from seeing off Motherwell by the same scoreline, the Hoops were in rampant mood to extend their lead at the summit to a mammoth 14-point advantage.
Goals from Nicholas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda, either side of a Kyogo Furuhashi brace, proved the difference for the imperious hosts at Parkhead, with that fine victory made all the sweeter amid events at Fir Park.
With Rangers slipping to a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon, it is Brendan Rodgers’ side who are in full control heading into Thursday’s Old Firm derby, albeit with complacency needing to be avoided even with their hefty margin at the top of the Premiership table.
Ahead of that eagerly-anticipated clash, Rodgers has been left with a real selection headache following a raft of standout performances, with Arne Engels among those who perhaps should be given the nod at Ibrox.
Arne Engels' game in numbers vs St Johnstone
Celtic’s club record signing has been rotated in and out of the starting lineup in recent weeks, having notably been forced to settle for a substitute berth in the League Cup final triumph over Rangers. That said, as his assist for Kuhn showcased in that Hampden thriller, the Belgian’s creative influence is beginning to blossom in a Celtic shirt.
Indeed, after scoring against Well last time out, the former Club Brugge man was again heavily involved in proceedings on Sunday, notably chalking up three key passes and completing 100% of his attempted dribbles from his midfield berth, as per Sofascore.
That attacking flair was particularly evident for the home side’s third goal of the game, with Engels delivering a delightful whipped cross into the path of that man Kyogo, who duly converted for his second in a matter of minutes.
A word must also be said for Paulo Bernardo, with the Portugal U21 international – who registered a stunning, threaded assist for Maeda – slotting in comfortably in place of the rested Callum McGregor.
Yet, with the former Benfica man lasting the full 90 minutes, it would appear that Engels and Reo Hatate will deservedly get the nod alongside McGregor in midweek.
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Now boasting 13 goals and assists in just 24 games for his new club to date, the £11m man is beginning to repay that hefty transfer fee. He’s also not the only summer signing who’s making their mark…
The Celtic star who has to start the Old Firm
Greg Taylor may have got on the scoresheet in the showpiece triumph earlier this month, yet it was a largely ropey showing from the Scotland international, having been particularly culpable for Nedim Bajrami’s strike after a slack cross-field pass.
Now with just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the 27-year-old, with it perhaps time for Rodgers to put his faith in young Alex Valle over an extended period.
The promising Spaniard may only be on loan himself – while whispers have touted a potential early return to parent club Barcelona – yet on current form, the Glasgow giants should be doing everything they can to keep him around for the foreseeable.
As for the short-term, the 20-year-old may have played his way into Thursday’s starting lineup amid a quietly impressive display against the Saints, a point categorised by his remarkable haul of six key passes from left-back – by far the most of any player for either side.
Fresh from registering an assist off the bench earlier this week, the young defender made the most of his recall to the starting XI, having taken 135 touches and recorded a pass accuracy rate of 87%.
Metric
Player
Most touches
Valle – 135
Most accurate passes
Scales – 111
Most key passes
Valle – 6
Most attempted crosses
Engels – 10
Most successful dribbles
Yang – 3
Most duels won
Franczak – 9
Possession lost
Rae – 32x
Yes, the on-loan starlet lost the ball on 20 occasions, but that seemingly signified his forward-thinking intent and desire to make things happen from a defensive berth, with it looking as if Celtic have a real gem on their hands.
The likelihood is, however, that Taylor – who was an unused substitute at Celtic Park – will now be recalled at Ibrox, although Valle, like Engels, has surely done enough to warrant another starting berth.
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