Following another exciting and dramatic transfer window, there is plenty of intrigue heading into Saturday’s Scottish Premiership matches.
All eyes will be on the new signings and only time will tell if your club have done the right business.
The action-packed day starts at Celtic Park, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event, as Celtic and Rangers go head-to-head.
Interim boss Liam Fox takes his Dundee United side to Motherwell, while high-flying Hearts visit Livingston, Aberdeen make the trip to Dingwall, under-pressure Hibs face Kilmarnock and it is the battle of the Saints at McDiarmid Park.
Here, we take a look at what is at stake this weekend…
What is live on Sky Sports?
All eyes will be on Celtic Park come lunchtime on Saturday as the Old Firm go head-to-head for the first time this season, live on Sky Sports Football.
Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic have made a perfect start to their title defence, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one en route to winning their opening five league games, while Rangers are two points behind following that controversial draw at Hibernian.
Saturday 3rd September 11:30am Kick off 12:30pm
- Celtic vs Rangers: The tactics dossier
- Celtic vs Rangers: The key players to look out for
- Old Firm: Who should start for Celtic and Rangers?
Rangers go into this following a hugely-successful Champions League qualifying campaign that will give them huge confidence, but can they pull off their first win against Celtic under Giovanni van Bronckhorst?
As for the hosts, who put nine past Dundee United last weekend, victory would take them five points clear at the top of the table and perfectly tee up a mouthwatering clash against Real Madrid next week.
Will Fox solve Dundee United’s issues?
Liam Fox is now in interim charge of Dundee United following Jack Ross’ sacking and has been tasked with the challenge of moving the club off the foot of the table.
United have failed to win any of their first five league matches, losing four of them, and have shipped 18 goals.
Standing in their way on Saturday is a Motherwell side rejuvenated under Steven Hammell, who like Fox was thrust into the dugout after a similar run of worrying results at Fir Park.
Following Graham Alexander’s sacking Hammell has led the club to three wins in five and up to fifth in the Scottish Premiership – but will that run of form continue at Fir Park or can United kickstart their season?
Will Killie put pressure on Hibs?
“Not good enough” and “naivety” were the phrases Lee Johnson used to describe his Hibernian team after their defeat to St Mirren.
It was a fourth league game in a row without a win and leaves the club languishing in the bottom half of the table with just one victory this season – a run Johnson knows must end, and end quickly.
Johnson, though, will have to keep up to date from his hospital bed after undergoing emergency gallbladder surgery.
Kilmarnock have failed to win any of their last four top-flight matches against Hibs, and not scored in their last two, but after picking up a first win since returning to the Premiership against Motherwell, confidence is on the up at Rugby Park.
Manager Derek McInnes says that result has given them a taste for more and with new players in the door at the club, he will be hoping the extra competition for places can see his side leapfrog their Easter Road rivals and secure three more points on Saturday.
Three in a row for Aberdeen?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Following a summer of change at Pittodrie, Aberdeen have certainly shown they know the way to goal with 12 goals – the third highest in the league behind Celtic and Rangers.
Three of the five goals in last weekend’s game against Livingston came from summer arrivals Bojan Miovski and Vicente Besuijen – the same number Ross County have managed to score all season.
It has been a tough start for Malky Mackay’s side who are second from bottom following four defeats from five, however, this was a fixture Aberdeen failed to win last season with the Dingwall side claiming victory in the last meeting between the clubs.
The Staggies will be hoping for more of the same, while the formbook suggests the Dons could be set to clinch a third successive league win – something that has not happened since December 11, 2021.
Will Livi respond against Hearts?
With several new players joining the squad over the transfer window, David Martindale will hope he now has enough quality within his ranks to push Livingston up the table after a mixed start.
Despite losing to Rangers on the opening day, that impressive display was followed up with back-to-back wins – creating a real sense of optimism at Livingston.
However, a controversial loss against Motherwell was followed up by a thrashing at Aberdeen and things do not get much easier with Hearts now in town – a side they have only beaten once in their last 20 top-flight meetings.
Robbie Neilson’s side will be confident after coming from behind to beat St Johnstone last time out and could go second if results go their way.
Who wins the battle of the Saints?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
After avoiding relegation via the play-offs last season, St Johnstone will be hoping to move away from the bottom end of the table as quickly as possible this season.
However, the early stats make for poor reading with Callum Davidson’s having lost three in a row and five of their last six. Furthermore, no club have attempted fewer shots than the Perth side in the league this season, nor have a lower expected goals tally than the Saints’ 2.42.
Meanwhile, a poor end to last season seems like a thing of the past for Stephen Robinson’s side who have won each of their last three league matches – and if they make it four, they will be the first St Mirren side to do so since December 2008.
The Buddies have also tasted victory in their last two league meetings with St Johnstone and could go as high as third if they do so again on Saturday and other results go their way.
The new Scottish Premiership season with Sky Sports
- Up to 48 live matches from the Scottish Premiership plus the play-off finals.
- Live coverage presented by Eilidh Barbour with analysis from Kris Boyd and Andy Walker, and more.
- Round-the-clock coverage on Sky Sports News, on skysports.com and across our Sky Sports social channels.
- Free-to-watch highlights of every Scottish Premiership game on our website.
- Sky Sports is your ultimate destination for domestic football with live coverage of the Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and the Women’s Super League.
- Find out more about Sky Sports