This season’s title race has been a real mixed bag for the Celtic supporters.
From looking uncatchable around October time, Brendan Rodgers‘ side was affected by injuries and with some players losing form as they let a seven-point lead slip at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
But now that all of Celtic’s best players are back from injury and looking back to their best, a three-point lead has been established at the top of the table heading into the big Glasgow Derby at the weekend.
With such a swing in a short period of time and with just three games to go, Celtic are favourites to lift the league title at the end of the month.
But it wasn’t always like that. The narrative was that Rangers were on the ascendancy and this Celtic team looked done.
So why has it all changed?
Michael Stewart pinpoints the ‘momentum’ shift to Celtic
Michael Stewart believes he knows the exact moment that the momentum shifted in favour of Celtic in the title race.
Speaking about Celtic’s 3-0 win over Hearts and Rangers’ 4-1 win over Kilmarnock, Stewart was in no doubt when the Ibrox club started to fall apart.
Stewart said [Sportscene], “In terms of context and how that plays into next week at Celtic Park. It’s not as if it’s going to be anything detrimental that’s for sure, but I’m not I’m not too sure in regards to does it give them a confidence booster.
“I don’t know. There’s a psychological edge to this now in terms of Rangers going to Celtic Park and believing that they can get a result.
“They were going into the last game against Celtic at home and in wonderful form and they never turned up. Celtic really dominated the game.
“Rangers managed to get themselves back and it felt like a victory for them. But it’s fallen apart for them since then.
“And I just don’t know whether, psychologically, that game, even though they got a 3-3 out of it, it felt as if they were almost spooked by it by Celtic coming back.
“And I think the momentum has really shifted from that game. That they were almost spooked and scared that Celtic were back into their rhythm.”
Since the Ibrox draw Celtic have recorded three straight league wins scoring eight goals in the process. Rangers, however, lost to Ross County and dropped points at Dens Park in a draw with Dundee.
That sets up this weekend’s derby as one that could potentially put Celtic within one game of winning the title should they beat Philippe Clement‘s side at Parkhead.
And after watching a poor run of results in February where Celtic drew with Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, this is a great position to be in as the title race draws to its close.