Celtic signed off the Christmas period with a valuable win away at Livingston, giving them momentum heading into the New Year fixtures.
Wilfried Nancy has now recorded back-to-back victories after beginning his Celtic reign with four straight defeats. The result cut the gap to Hearts to just three points, with the Hoops travelling to Motherwell knowing a win by four goals or more would take them back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.
However, the victory at Livingston was far from straightforward. Nancy’s attacking philosophy was on full display, but so too were Celtic’s defensive vulnerabilities, making for a chaotic contest.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton shared his thoughts on both Nancy’s approach and the penalty decision that infuriated Livingston boss David Martindale. While Sutton is often critical when he feels standards slip, he was largely impressed by what he saw from the Hoops.
Discussing the penalty on Sky Sports, Sutton suggested the decision was harsh, referencing a similar incident involving Liam Scales against Hibs earlier in the season. Despite his reservations about the spot kick, Sutton was glowing about Celtic’s attacking play under Nancy.
While acknowledging the defensive concerns, Sutton praised the quality of football in the final third. Writing on social media after full time, he noted that Celtic still look capable of conceding plenty of goals, but highlighted that some of the “Wilfball” on show was excellent. He described the performance as patchy but stressed it remains a work in progress, adding that the win moved Celtic three points closer to Hearts.
There are clear signs of what Nancy is trying to implement at Celtic, but there are also warning signals — particularly when facing stronger opposition. Unless the defensive issues are addressed, Celtic may find themselves needing to outscore teams regularly, as clean sheets currently look hard to come by.
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