Defending champions Celtic kept their title hopes firmly alive on Sunday after edging past 10-man Hibernian 2-1, with Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho delivering the decisive blow in a tense Scottish Premiership clash.
The victory sees Celtic draw level on points with leaders Hearts, who maintain a narrow advantage on goal difference, while Rangers trail by four points.
With all three contenders still set to face one another before the season wraps up, the title race remains delicately poised.
Attention now shifts to a pivotal encounter on Monday as Hearts welcome Rangers in what could prove a defining moment in their bid to break the decades-long dominance of Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers.
A high-stakes Old Firm showdown between Celtic and Rangers follows next weekend, before Hearts travel to Celtic Park on the final day of the campaign.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill admitted relief after the win but stressed that nothing is settled.
“We’ve won today, so there’s some relief, but only briefly,” he said. “Even winning all remaining matches doesn’t guarantee the title. The margin for error is extremely small.”
Hibernian’s hopes were dented early when Jamie McGrath was sent off in the 21st minute for a reckless challenge on Alistair Johnston following a VAR review.
Celtic capitalised on their numerical advantage midway through the first half.
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Johnston combined neatly with Yang Hyun-jun before delivering a precise cross that allowed Daizen Maeda to finish from close range. Though initially flagged offside, VAR intervened to confirm the goal.
Despite being a man down, Hibernian responded just before the break through captain Joe Newell, whose equaliser survived a VAR check amid handball concerns.
Celtic controlled possession for much of the second half but struggled to break down a resilient Hibs side until Iheanacho stepped up late on.
The former Manchester City and Leicester City striker showed composure, bringing down Kieran Tierney’s corner before calmly slotting home the winner with 18 minutes remaining.
The result sets up a dramatic conclusion to the Scottish Premiership season, with the title likely to be decided in the final round of fixtures.