When Celtic won against Motherwell earlier in the day, it was a very important result in the title race. And for more reasons than one. Firstly, Martin O'Neill's side were able to get the better of one of the best teams in the league and take all three points. But perhaps even more importantly, they put some pressure on Hearts.

On most match days, Hearts have played before Celtic. This time around, they were the ones having to deal with the pressure of needing to win the game to keep the gap at five points. And it clearly had an effect on them.

In an earlier article from today, I had wondered how this Hearts team would react to that sort of pressure. After all, this is not a side that is used to competing in close title races.

Today's game was always going to tell us a lot about Derek McInnes' side. Now we know. And Hearts fans might not like what that is.

Hearts went away to Kilmarnock, a team sitting at 11th in the league. And they could not find a way past them, losing 1-0 at Rugby Park. As a result, they are now just two points ahead of Celtic in the league table with eight more games left to be played.

As one Celtic fan wrote on X: "Hearts are falling apart again. The bubble is well and truly bursting and the pressure is starting to mount. The Martin O’Neill effect is hitting them all over again and you can see the panic beginning to creep in."

Another wrote: "Bubble is bursting. The chase is on."

The chase is well and truly on. Celtic will know that it is far too early to celebrate though. They have a squad full of players who are used to being in these situations. And a manager with a history of winning silverware as well. The same cannot be said about those at Hearts.

Of course, this set of results will put further pressure on the Rangers as well. They are the last of the three to play this weekend when they travel away to take on St Mirren.

In the past, we have seen that the Rangers are not particularly great at dealing with pressure situations themselves. Now, they face a dual task. Dropping points this weekend would not only mean failing to capitalise on a chance to cut down the gap with Hearts but it would also see them fall further behind Celtic in the league title race. So, let's see how Danny Rohl's team reacts.

As for Celtic, this has already been a great weekend of results. Of course, the performances are still not up to the grade but they won't mind, if they can keep picking up three points for the rest of the campaign.

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