Celtic secured their second consecutive Scottish Premiership title under the management of Ange Postecoglou with a hard-fought victory against a resilient 10-man Hearts side at Tynecastle.

The breakthrough came just before halftime when Alex Cochrane’s yellow card for a foul on Daizen Maeda was upgraded to a red following a VAR review. Kyogo Furuhashi capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring his 30th goal of the season and sparking celebrations among the away supporters. Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu added a second goal, sealing Celtic’s 11th title in 12 years.

This triumph marks Celtic’s 53rd league crown overall, and they now have the opportunity to complete a fifth treble in seven seasons if they win the Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on June 3rd. Despite Hearts’ disappointment with the controversial dismissal of Cochrane, Celtic savored the celebrations of their title win, which had been all but assured for weeks.

Hearts put up a strong fight, knowing that securing third place would guarantee them a spot in the group stage of European competition and a substantial financial reward. They displayed an impressive performance in the first half, but the game’s turning point came with Cochrane’s red card. Celtic, although not at their best, managed to secure victory at the venue where Postecoglou suffered a defeat in his first league match in charge two years ago, showcasing their progress since then.

Celtic’s win was built on their outstanding season, having lost just one domestic game against St Mirren back in September. Postecoglou’s team has been dominant, and they are now only one goal away from matching the record of 106 league goals set by Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles in the 2016-17 season. With four games remaining, it seems likely that Celtic will surpass that milestone and potentially set a new points record as well.

While Hearts will be disappointed with the loss, their performance against Celtic before the red card will boost their confidence in the race for third place. They have not lost ground to Aberdeen, and with their strong display against the champions, they believe they can close the five-point gap, particularly with an upcoming home match against Aberdeen.

Ange Postecoglou expressed his pride in his players and staff for maintaining an exceptional standard throughout the season, highlighting their hunger and relentless approach. Hearts’ interim manager, Steven Naismith, acknowledged the frustration of the defeat but commended his team’s effort and resilience in dealing with the setback.