Celtic arrive at McDiarmid Park with five wins from five in the Premiership, 13 goals scored and only 3 conceded. That is the shape of their start, and it is hard to argue with. ST Johnstone, though, have taken 7 points from five league games and already shown enough to make this a more awkward away trip than the table suggests.

Celtic's control at both ends

The standout figure is the balance. Celtic have been ruthless going forward and tidy at the back, with 13 goals and 3 conceded in five league matches. They also booked their place in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals against Rangers, which keeps the momentum rolling across competitions.

Sports Mole summed up the expectation in its preview: "Celtic are undoubtedly the stronger team on paper and will be expected to dominate this encounter and extend their flawless start to the Scottish Premiership season."

That expectation is fair enough, but it does not erase the one recent McDiarmid Park reminder that Celtic do not always get their own way there. They lost 1-0 in their last Premiership visit in April 2025. The point is not that Celtic suddenly look vulnerable, only that the venue has already produced a warning.

St Johnstone's start and the McDiarmid Park warning

St Johnstone's return to the top flight has not been empty of encouragement. Seven points from five Premiership games is a decent opening, and the recent win over Hibernian is the kind of result that gives a home side belief before a visit from the champions.

Sports Mole's preview captured that side of the argument too: "A surprise victory against the reigning champions would certainly help those ambitions, and the Saints will be able to draw confidence from their win against Hibs last time out."

There is still a gap in quality, and Celtic's numbers make that plain. But St Johnstone are not turning up as passengers, and McDiarmid Park has already seen them make life difficult for a bigger side in a way that should keep Celtic switched on from the first whistle.

Their league position is seventh, which is a useful sign that they have settled into the division rather than scrapping from day one. The challenge now is to see whether that early resilience can hold against the best attack in the league.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →