Hearts, Celtic, Rangers? Who's going to win the Scottish Premiership this season?

7 hours ago 5

Away from the riches and the bright lights of the Premier League, the Scottish Premiership is quietly housing one of the most exciting title battles in Europe.

1985 was the last the time the famous Scottish league title was lifted by a side other than Rangers or Celtic, when Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen finished top.

The near 40-year Old Firm dominance of the league has led to Scotland developing something of a reputation for title battles that don't often go to the wire outside of Glasgow.

This could be the year that all changes with both the Glasgow clubs in the rear view mirror of title-chasing Hearts, who have as good a chance as any to be the first non-Old Firm title winner in a generation.

Here's how it's all shaping up in Scotland.

Who's in the driving seat?

For once, it is a side in the capital.

Hearts have had a season to remember, albeit capitalising on two very strange campaigns from Celtic and Rangers, and sat at the helm of the Premiership going into 2026, a position they are yet to relinquish so far in the new year.

Derek McInnes' side bounced back from a winless run in November to now have the title in their hands heading into the league's split (where the top six play each other once more) after 33 games.

Captain Lawrence Shankland and Cláudio Braga's goals have been crucial to the Edinburgh's side's title push and they'll need the likes of Harry Milne and Alexandros Kyziridis to carry their season over the line to what could be their first league title in over 65 years. Yes you read that right.

What's going on at Celtic?

For all of Hearts' joy this term so far it hasn't come without the significant fact that both Rangers and Celtic suffered terrible starts to the season.

Celtic -- now onto their third manager of the year -- began the season with a toxic end to Brendan Rodgers' time at the club.

And it didn't get any better from there with Rodgers' replacement Wilfried Nancy becoming an unfortunate embodiment of all that was awry at the club. The Frenchman was eventually sacked just 33 days after taking charge courtesy of a torrid eight-game spell.

Club legend Martin O'Neill was then brought back for a second interim spell within the same season after taking charge between Rodgers' dismissal and Nancy's appointment.

He has since steadied the ship somewhat and Celtic are more than in the title picture but an ignominious European exit and O'Neill calling out protesting Celtic fans -- who remain incandescent with the club's board after a series of what they perceive to be disastrous financial and transfer decisions, among other factors -- means that the problems lie deep at Celtic Park heading into the season's run-in.

What about Rangers?

It's been more of the same for Celtic's neighbours over at Ibrox with managerial turmoil also at the centre of Rangers' underwhelming start to the season.

Russell Martin was appointed boss last summer to little to no fanfare among the Rangers faithful (a sign of what was to come) and his ill-fated tenure ended with a police escort from his final game in charge. Not great.

The former Southampton coach matched the club's worst-ever start to a campaign winning just once in seven league games before a draw at Falkirk was seen as the last straw.

One of the characterising aspects of Martin's spell was him calling out his own players after poor performances, often questioning their mentality. It was one that had to end.

To replace him though, Rangers completed something of a coup, appointing Danny Rohl after he had left Sheffield Wednesday. From his time as a coach with Bayern Munich and Germany to a masterminding a great Championship escape with Wednesday, he was a coach in-demand.

And it was the right appointment with Rangers going from obscurity in the league under Martin to now a consistent challenger for Hearts at the top.

Rohl has lost just once in the league so far and away from the results has restored hope to a fanbase that looked to have lost it early in the season.

Is anyone else in the mix?

Remarkably, the case could be made that there are actually four teams embroiled in this title battle.

Motherwell have been on the coattails of the big three throughout and have yet to let up. They have the league's top scorer in their ranks in Tawanda Maswanhise, and are not far off at all.

They might not harbour ambitions of going all the way but Jens Berthel Askou and co. will grow in confidence every passing week they stay in the mix.

Stranger things have happened in football.

When does the league split?

Unlike other top leagues in Europe, the Scottish Premiership splits into a top and bottom six every season after 33 games.

Introduced to increase competitiveness and "reduce the number of meaningless mid-table clashes," the split ensures that those fighting survival, going for Europe or in this case battling it out for the league title will play each other when it matters the most.

Each team plays a total of five extra games after the split, facing each team in their section once and bringing their total games played at the end of the season to the more conventional 38.

So in this case, the top three that are in the title race will all play each other once post-split, with 18 points at stake in all, and nine each when the top three face one another, which could make for a photo finish to the season.

The post-33 game period of the season will ultimately determine if Hearts can go all the way and win their first league title in two generations.