Hearts have ascended to the top of the Scottish Premiership after a comfortable 3-0 victory against Falkirk, while Celtic were held to a goalless draw by Hibernian at Celtic Park. This result allows Hearts to move two points clear of the defending champions.
Celtic's match against Hibernian was marked by a planned protest from a segment of the home fans. The Celtic Fans Collective organized "12 minutes of silence from your 12th man" at the start of the game to express their discontent with the club's board and its transfer dealings. Despite the initial silence, the atmosphere improved after the 12th minute, but Celtic failed to convert their dominance into goals.
Manager Brendan Rodgers acknowledged the fans' protest and expressed his desire for the focus to return to the football itself. He stated that he couldn't fault his team's performance, highlighting the numerous chances created, but lamented the lack of a "killer touch" in the box. Rodgers also praised the performance of Marcelo Saracchi. Celtic had several near misses, with Kelechi Iheanacho and Saracchi both hitting the bar. Iheanacho also had a goal disallowed for offside. Hibernian's goalkeeper, Ralph Sallinger, made some brilliant saves to keep his team in the game and maintain their unbeaten league start.
Meanwhile, at Tynecastle, Hearts secured a convincing 3-0 win against Falkirk. Alexandros Kyziridis opened the scoring with a sublime strike, followed by Lawrence Shankland, who fired home his third goal in two games. Craig Halkett then headed in the third goal early in the second half, sealing the victory for Hearts. Hearts have been significantly boosted by investment from Brighton owner Tony Bloom, who acquired a 29% stake in the club in June. Hearts now sit atop the league standings with 16 points from a possible 18.
Lawrence Shankland's goal was his 163rd in the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) since its foundation in 2013, making him the all-time top goalscorer in the league. Hearts supporters were in high spirits, chanting "bring on the Hibees" in anticipation of the upcoming Edinburgh derby.
In other Premiership action, Kilmarnock secured their first league win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice. St Mirren moved up to third in the table after a 1-0 win against Dundee. Aberdeen's winless and goalless start to the season continued with a loss to Motherwell.
