Hearts delivered a potentially decisive blow in the Scottish Premiership title race with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Rangers at a raucous Tynecastle Park. First-half goals from defender Stuart Findlay and captain Lawrence Shankland proved enough for Derek McInnes's side, despite a last-gasp consolation from Rangers' Youssef Chermiti.
Hearts Seize Control Before the Break
The match began with Rangers, unbeaten in the league since a September loss to Hearts, showing early promise. They thought they had taken the lead in the first half when Bojan Miovski turned home a header, but the effort was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review. This reprieve seemed to galvanise the hosts.
Hearts, who made two defensive changes with Frankie Kent and Stephen Kingsley replacing the injured Craig Halkett and suspended Harry Milne, grew into the game. Their breakthrough came from a meticulously rehearsed set-piece in the 38th minute. Alexandros Kyziridis exchanged a short corner with Jorge Braga before delivering a superb inswinging cross that Stuart Findlay powered home from six yards.
Shankland Strikes to Double the Advantage
The home side's momentum was irresistible, and they struck again just four minutes later. From a long free-kick, the ball was flicked on by Oisin McEntee and Braga, allowing Lawrence Shankland to steal in behind the Rangers defence. From an acute angle on the right, the skipper somehow squeezed a low shot through the legs of goalkeeper Jack Butland and in at the near post.
Shankland could have sealed the contest later, spurning two excellent chances, first rolling a shot wide and then being denied by Butland when clean through. Rangers, who made three changes from their previous match, introducing James Tavernier, Nico Raskin and Miovski, struggled to break down a resilient Hearts rearguard for much of the contest.
Title Implications and Historic Momentum
The significance of the result cannot be overstated. Hearts now move a commanding 12 points clear of fourth-placed Rangers, severely denting the Ibrox club's hopes of mounting a title challenge. For Hearts, the victory continues a remarkable season; they have now won all four of their league matches against the traditional Glasgow giants, Celtic and Rangers.
This result also confirms that Hearts will be top of the Scottish Premiership on Christmas Day, the first non-Old Firm side to achieve that feat since 1993. Substitute Youssef Chermiti did capitalise on a defensive mix-up to score with the last kick of the game, but it was mere consolation for Danny Rohl's visitors, whose 11-game unbeaten league run came to a crashing halt in Edinburgh.
The victory at a packed Tynecastle propels Hearts' quest to end a 40-year monopoly on the Scottish top flight held by Celtic and Rangers. With momentum and a substantial points cushion, Derek McInnes's team have firmly established themselves as the prime contenders for the William Hill Premiership crown.
