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JAMBOS BLAZING

Maybe the only surprising aspect of Hearts' triumph over Celtic in the Scottish top flight was just how surprised observers seemed when news of the outcome and its consequences for the summit of the standings emerged. While this convincing victory at Tynecastle, which puts the Edinburgh side top of the table and eight points ahead of Celtic, was seismic in scale, nobody who has been following the fortunes of both team this campaign will have been even remotely astonished by the result.

Over the past 40 seasons, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish football between them, turning fitba to almost a punchline in the meantime. Nine games into the present season it has become clear that Hearts – who number celebrated snooker player, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their famous supporters – might just be ready to strike while the Old Firm influence is at its weakest.

CELTIC'S DECLINE

While a lot of the attention in Scotland has been on the disastrous season being endured by Rangers, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at their stadium has meant that the title holders' slightly less terminal decay has been allowed to fester below the radar. The reigning champions have already lost 10 points from their opening nine fixtures this term under their manager. The team's boss has developed the thousand-yard stare of a individual who constantly checking his Google calendar to find out how many days are remaining until his contract expires, and awoke this morning to discover the number is 246.

"No one has put in more effort in all my time here," he told the media following the loss, after they had questioned his appetite for any kind of a title fight. "Therefore the drive is present to try and flip the standards that we're at. It's absolutely fine, there is plenty of time."

EDINBURGH DISRUPTOR

Given the dreadful start to the campaign being endured by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers and his men could typically be expected to escape scrutiny for their own inability to start strongly, but this year an capital city challenger has entered the mix. Despite being forced to function with a budget that is not just a small portion of their rivals' as a minuscule amount in comparison, Hearts have introduced the investment and knowledge of a renowned businessman to the SPL mix. In addition to investing ten million pounds during the off-season, the Brighton owner has provided the club exclusive use of his top secret data-driven Jamestown Analytics recruitment tool.

In Oisin McEntee, a Greek talent and a Brazilian prospect it has allowed them to unearth hidden talents from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the combined cost of a modest car. Spotted at their home venue on Sunday sporting a Hearts scarf, the notoriously astute sports betting expert could be observed celebrating each score with the enthusiasm of a man who had almost certainly realized the oddsmakers had massively misjudged his side's chances of defeating the struggling title holders, and filled his boots accordingly.

MANAGER'S RESPONSE

"I don't think it's a message-sending victory," said the facial-haired team manager the head coach after his side's most recent success, their eighth in nine outings. "It might be for those on the periphery. It might change opinions. It may confirm views that there's a fine line. But we must be realistic, we are delighted with what the players have given us. In terms of skill, we look in a good place, and certainly physically we look in a good place, so we hope it persists. Naturally, it's not a position that the team is used to being in." No, Derek, it is not. But the glorious, data-driven truth is that for the initial occasion in many years, the Scottish game might genuinely have a title race that somebody besides the traditional powers can claim.