Martin O’Neill says Celtic remain ‘in competition’ in Premiership title battle

Martin O’Neill insists Celtic remain firmly in the title race despite dropping more points in a 2–2 draw away to Hearts.

The interim manager pointed to the wider picture of the season and stressed that his side are still in contention, even if the league table currently favours Hearts and shows Rangers gaining ground. “We’re still in the competition,” O’Neill told Sky Sports, via CeltsAreHere.

“We’ve given ourselves throughout the season a lot of ground to catch up on, but we’re still there. And we’ve got a great fighting spirit among the lads.”

The result at Tynecastle came at the end of a demanding week that included a European trip and another match finished with ten men after Auston Trusty’s red card. Celtic twice led in Edinburgh but were pegged back late on, conceding again from a set piece.

Martin O’Neill says Celtic remain ‘in competition’ in Premiership title battle

The draw leaves Celtic chasing rather than leading in the Premiership, with Hearts setting the pace and Rangers building momentum. The Glasgow club have also been operating with a stretched squad in January, as injuries, suspensions, and a lack of new signings have increased the burden on key players.

O’Neill, however, highlighted recent performances as evidence that his team are still competing at a high level. Celtic continue to create chances and score goals, even when down to ten men, and have shown they can trouble the sides above them in direct meetings.

He accepts that dropped points have often come from isolated moments, such as red cards or lapses at set pieces, rather than from being outplayed over 90 minutes. That is why he maintains confidence that Celtic can close the gap as the season progresses.

The title race remains open, with Celtic still to face both Hearts and Rangers again. Those fixtures offer the chance to swing points directly and reshape the narrative at the top of the table.