Celtic stormed to a dominant 4-0 victory over Motherwell on Boxing Day, maintaining their stronghold at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Goals from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kühn, and Reo Hatate secured the three points, but much of the post-match discussion revolved around the penalty awarded to Celtic in first-half injury time.

The penalty incident occurred when Motherwell goalkeeper Aston Oxborough collided with Celtic’s Hyun-Jun Yang in the box. The Referee pointed to the spot, and Arne Engels made no mistake in converting to give Celtic the lead. While the decision sparked debate, a five-member Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel unanimously upheld the call, stating it was a “supportable” decision and not a clear and obvious error.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell described the penalty as “soft,” but the panel’s backing suggests there was no controversy to be had. For Celtic fans, the frustration may lie elsewhere. Earlier in the half, Daizen Maeda was kicked in the head as he attempted to score, a moment that was conspicuously absent from KMI discussions despite the potential severity of the incident.

Maeda, undeterred, delivered a sensational performance, scoring Celtic’s second goal shortly after the interval. Nicolas Kühn added a third with a composed finish before Reo Hatate capped off the night with a brilliant strike.

The win solidifies Celtic’s position at the top which now stands at 12 points, but the inconsistent application of officiating remains a talking point, particularly after yet another dominant display on the pitch. While the penalty decision has been cleared of any wrongdoing, fans are left to question why Maeda’s clash was seemingly ignored.

Celtic now look ahead to their the final fixture of the year at Celtic Park against St Johnstone. If they manage to avoid defeat, the bhoys will have went through a whole calendar year without being beaten in domestic action and in Europe at home.