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HEARTS ON FIRE

Maybe the sole unexpected element of Hearts' triumph over Celtic in the Scottish top flight was the extent to which surprised observers appeared when reports of the result and its impact for the top of the standings emerged. While this convincing victory at their home ground, which leaves the Edinburgh side top of the league and a significant margin ahead of their rivals, was earth-shattering in nature, nobody who has been following the fortunes of either team this season will have been even remotely shocked by the final score.

For each of the last 40 seasons, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish league between them, turning fitba to almost a punchline in the meantime. Several matches into the present campaign it has become clear that Hearts – who count celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and Ken Stott among their famous supporters – could be ready to make their move while the Old Firm iron is freezing cold.

THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP

Although a lot of the attention in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being endured by the Ibrox club, the full-spectrum nightmare of the circumstances at Ibrox has meant that Celtic's comparatively less severe decay has been allowed to worsen unnoticed. The reigning champions have so far dropped 10 points from nine fixtures this season under their manager. The team's boss has acquired the distant look of a individual who can't stop consulting his Google calendar to see how many days are left until his deal expires, and woke up this morning to discover the number is over two hundred.

"I've never worked harder in all my time at the club," he told the media following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire for any kind of a title fight. "So the motivation is there to attempt to flip the levels that we're at. It's absolutely fine, there is plenty of time."

NEW CHALLENGER

Given the horrific start to the campaign being endured by the other Glasgow side, the Celtic boss and his players could typically be expected to escape scrutiny for their own inability to roar out of the traps, but on this occasion an capital city challenger has joined the mix. In spite of being obliged to operate with a war-chest that is not just a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, the Tynecastle outfit have added the money and knowledge of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership mix. As well as putting in £10m during the off-season, the Premier League figurehead has provided Hearts sole use of his top secret analytics-based proprietary scouting recruitment tool.

In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has enabled them to discover unpolished gems from an English lower-league side, the Slovakian top flight and the Norwegian second tier, among other lesser-known leagues, for the total price of a modest car. Spotted at their home venue on matchday wearing a Hearts scarf, the notoriously astute professional gambler could be observed celebrating each score with the gusto of a person who had almost certainly realized the oddsmakers had greatly underestimated his side's chances of beating the struggling title holders, and filled his boots as a result.

MANAGER'S REACTION

"In my opinion it's a statement win," said bearded Hearts gaffer Derek McInnes after his side's most recent success, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for those on the periphery. It might change perceptions. It might validate views that there's a fine line. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the lads have given us. Technically, we look in a good place, and certainly physically we look in a good place, so long may that continue. Naturally, it's not a position that the team is used to being in." No, Derek, it isn't. But the wonderful, data-driven truth is that for the first time in many years, Scottish football might actually have a title race that a team besides the traditional powers can win.