Celtic’s dominance on the domestic front shows no signs of slowing, and their performances have not gone unnoticed by Aston Villa captain John McGinn.
A lifelong Celtic supporter, McGinn has been keeping a close eye on events at Parkhead, as well as their Scottish Premiership rivals Aberdeen and Rangers.
McGinn will lead Villa against Brendan Rodgers’ side in the Champions League in January, providing him with an up-close view of a Celtic team that has been relentless in its pursuit of success this season.
Over the weekend, Celtic cruised to a 4-1 victory against Hearts, extending their lead at the top of the Premiership to three points after Aberdeen fell to a defeat at McGinn’s former club, St Mirren.
Meanwhile, Rangers’ struggles continued as they dropped points against Dundee United, leaving Celtic a commanding 11 points ahead of their Glasgow rivals.
Having already secured a dominant Glasgow derby win and a six-goal rout of Aberdeen earlier this season, Celtic are proving themselves to be a class apart in the league. For McGinn, the picture is clear.
John McGinn: Celtic ‘streets ahead’ of Rangers and Aberdeen
Speaking to Premier Sports, McGinn praised Celtic’s quality while expressing little surprise at the state of their closest rivals.
“They are flying,” McGinn said of Celtic.
“I think it took them a while to adapt after Ange left, but they seem to have found that same form they had when he was there.
“They are lightning quick on the break. I think they are just streets ahead of everyone in the league at the moment. Even when teams have their moments, if they don’t capitalise on those moments, then they just punish you.”
When asked if he was surprised by how far Rangers and Aberdeen trail Celtic, McGinn was blunt:
“No, I am not after watching some of the games they have played in. There have been games I have watched that I never thought they could break a team down.
“I haven’t seen a lot of the games, but what I could see is all the empty seats, and I think the fans at Rangers are loyal, it doesn’t matter what division they were in. So, I think they have had enough and are looking for a spark or something different.”
A crucial end to the year for Celtic
Celtic’s schedule in the coming weeks could define their season. Two Glasgow derbies are on the horizon, including a league clash at Ibrox on January 2. There’s also a tricky trip to Aberdeen, but Rodgers’ side looks well-equipped for the challenge.
Before the year is out, Celtic could have their first piece of silverware in the bag with the League Cup final against Rangers, while a growing lead at the top of the table would allow them to shift more focus to the Champions League.
Their ruthlessness was on display against Hearts, where despite a below-par first-half performance, they netted four goals with ease. The squad depth is evident, as players like Liam Scales and Alex Valle didn’t even need to feature.
As McGinn prepares for his clash with his boyhood club, there’s no denying that Celtic are setting the standard in Scotland, leaving their rivals scrambling to keep up.
