Celtic began their Premiership title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 win over St Mirren on flag day at Celtic Park.

While the afternoon ended in celebration, Brendan Rodgers’ side were made to grind for the points in a match that highlighted early-season concerns in the final third.

Luke McCowan was the hero once again. He has quickly become a go-to playerin tight situations, found the breakthrough that finally broke St Mirren’s resistance. His knack for delivering when it matters most is already proving invaluable to Celtic’s cause.

It was far from a brilliant attacking display, however. St Mirren arrived with a clear game plan: stay compact, frustrate, and look to pinch something late on.

They carried it out with discipline and determination, limiting Celtic to few clear-cut chances despite long spells of possession. The Paisley side defended their box well and almost left Glasgow with a hard-earned point.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton summed it up post-match, praising McCowan but questioning the overall creative spark in the side.

Luke McCowan time and time again comes up trumps for Celtic. Deserved win but credit to St Mirren who were so gutsy and nearly hung on for a point. I think it’s fair to say it’s glaringly obvious Celtic need more creativity and quality in the frontline… interesting few weeks…

— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) August 3, 2025

The Hoops enjoyed control in midfield but struggled to translate that dominance into cutting-edge play in the final third. With Adam Idah closely marked and wide areas often crowded out, Celtic’s attacks became predictable at times.

McCowan’s intervention spared the Bhoys from a frustrating opening-day stalemate, but Sutton’s comments reflect a feeling shared by many supporters that fresh attacking impetus is required.

With the transfer window still open, attention will now turn to whether Celtic strengthen up front.

The early signs from McCowan are encouraging, but if the champions are to navigate the challenges ahead, both domestically and in Europe, they may need more variety and invention in attack.

Three points were secured on flag day, but this was a performance that left as many questions as answers for Celtic’s attacking blueprint in the weeks to come.