TIMELINE TO THE TITLE...WHERE THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS WON
WHEN a victorious Steven Gerrard screamed into the Sky Sports camera at Celtic Park on December 29, it looked like the race for the Premiership title was heating up just as the league was shutting down for the winter. Goals from Ryan Kent and Nikola Katic, either side of an Odsonne Edouard leveller, had Rangers sitting two points behind the Parkhead club with the benefit of a game in hand. As Ibrox fans dared to dream of their first top-flight league triumph since 2011, Celtic licked their wounds and headed to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp. Returning suitably refreshed, they attacked their quest for nine in a row with venom and vigour. Any hope Rangers had of securing the league crown suffered a serious blow when a series of dropped points coincided with the Parkhead men winning 12 out of 13 domestic games to establish a 13-point lead at the top of the Premiership. Here Sportsmail charts the title-winning timeline of Neil Lennon’s ruthless side, who ensured they took full advantage, while Gerrard’s Rangers stumbled and tripped in 2020.
KILMARNOCK 1 CELTIC 3 Jan 22, 2020
All eyes were on Celtic as the critics looked for further evidence of a crumbling empire. But the champions held firm, with Edouard and Leigh Griffiths impressing in Lennon’s new-look 3-5-2 system at Rugby Park. The Frenchman opened the scoring before the Scot grabbed the second. Nicke Kabamba pulled one back for Killie but Christopher Jullien made sure Celtic kept intact their slender lead at the top over Rangers, who beat St Mirren 1-0 at Ibrox.
CELTIC 3 ROSS COUNTY 0 Jan 25
Leading through a Callum McGregor penalty, a stodgy team performance only came to life with the arrival of Edouard off the bench. Introduced in the 63rd minute, the Frenchman made it 3-0 with a four-minute double. Celtic were now five points clear with two games more played than Rangers, who would go down 2-1 to Hearts at Tynecastle 24 hours later.
ST JOHNSTONE 0 CELTIC 3 Jan 29
As Rangers beat Ross County 2-0 at Ibrox, Celtic maintained their five-point lead courtesy of firsthalf goals from Olivier Ntcham, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths.
HAMILTON 1 CELTIC 4 Feb 2
With Rangers having drawn 0-0 at home to Aberdeen 24 hours earlier, Celtic had the chance to go seven clear. Lennon’s men fell behind to a Marios Ogkmpoe goal but Jamie Hamilton’s red card for the home side was compounded by Edouard striking home the free-kick he had conceded. Late goals from Jullien, Edouard again and Forrest meant ruthless Celtic had won ten consecutive domestic away matches.
MOTHERWELL 0 CELTIC 4 Feb 5
Celtic extended their winning run in the league since the winter break to six games with this rout at Fir Park. Edouard scored in each half, with Griffiths and McGregor also on the scoresheet. Over at Ibrox, a late Ianis Hagi goal gave Rangers a 2-1 win over Hibernian to keep the gap at seven points.
CELTIC 5 HEARTS 0 Feb 12
The Parkhead side stretched their lead at the top of the table to ten points with a five-star showing against Hearts. Goals from Ntcham, Jullien, McGregor,
Ryan Christie and Jozo Simunovic all brought cheers. But none as loud as the reaction that greeted Rangers’ costly 2-1 loss to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 2 Feb 16
A late Kris Ajer goal settled a scrappy match that had seen Ash Taylor cancel out an opener from McGregor. With Rangers beating Livingston 1-0 at Ibrox, Celtic’s lead remained at ten points, having played one game more than their Old Firm rivals.
CELTIC 3 KILMARNOCK 1 Feb 23
Steven Gerrard’s side could only draw 2-2 at St Johnstone and Celtic duly capitalised by beating Kilmarnock to go 12 points clear. Eamonn Brophy had opened the scoring for Killie from the penalty spot. But Celtic claimed yet another three points thanks to Ajer, Edouard and Griffiths before Alan Power was sent off for the visitors.
LIVINGSTON 2 CELTIC 2 Mar 4
After McGregor and Jon Guthrie had traded goals, Scott Robinson scored what looked like being the winner for the Lions until Tom Rogic’s stoppage-time leveller. In ordinary circumstances, it would have been regarded as two points dropped. But Rangers lost 1-0 at home to Hamilton on the same evening and Rogic’s late show had extended Celtic’s lead at the top to 13 points.
CELTIC 5 ST MIRREN 0 Mar 7
Griffiths was the hat-trick hero as Celtic went 16 points clear, with Edouard’s goal and a McGregor penalty rounding off this rout of Saints. Rangers beat Ross County 1-0 24 hours later to cut the lead back to 13 points, but it was to prove the last weekend of Old Firm action before the league was shutdown due to coronavirus.