Derek McInnes was left with nothing but admiration for Celtic after his Kilmarnock side were blown away by a blistering first-half performance at Parkhead.
The Rugby Park boss, never usually short of a gripe in defeat, could only applaud the level of quality on display as his team were swept aside.
The match was effectively over by the half-hour mark, with Celtic racing into a 4-0 lead. But it wasn’t just the scoreline that impressed McInnes—it was the manner of the goals and the relentless attacking play from Brendan Rodgers’ side.
The Kilmarnock manager singled out Greg Taylor and Liam Scales for their influence down the left flank, highlighting their drive and link-up play with Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.
Speaking post-match, McInnes admitted to Killie TV: “But I thought Taylor’s movement, his energy and enthusiasm and his drive, Scales stepping into fullback areas, I thought they two where a huge part of that left hand side that was causing us issues.
“Maeda, Hatate, Taylor and Scales just ganging up on us out there and getting us on the back foot and getting us to the edge of the box really.
“And then from there on in we’ve got to show a bit of calmness. The first goal was a hell of a strike. There’s two world-class goals there. Hatate and Carter-Vickers. I don’t even know how much power he’s got.
“It’s like Dave Narey all over again. Those two goals are first-class and it shows you the quality Celtic have got.”
It was as complete a half of football as Celtic have played all season—fluid, aggressive, and utterly dominant.
Celtic’s title charge now moves into the home stretch, and performances like this one show exactly why they’re on the cusp of yet another Premiership crown.
They could win it before heading into the split, with Aberdeen hosting Rangers on Sunday. To mathematically win the league, Aberdeen need to beat Rangers, although a draw would see Celtic go 15 clear with 15 left to play for, and with a much superior goal difference the league would be all but done.
