Kilmarnock's leaky defence and Hearts' rise as the Premiership completes its first circuit
Kilmarnock have conceded 26 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season. That is the most at this stage of a league campaign since Dundee shipped 28 in their first 11 games in 2018-19, a season that ended in relegation for Dundee.
Wednesday's matches completed the first circuit of league fixtures, so every side has now played each other once. Hearts drew 2-2 at home to Rangers in one of the evening's headline games, and the result tells you a lot about where the title race stands. Hearts are third, eight points behind champions Celtic and four behind Rangers.
Hearts have been a strong attacking side. Only Celtic have scored more goals in the league this season. They are also unbeaten at Tynecastle since April 2025, a run of 26 league games, and they have already beaten Dundee United and St Mirren at home this season. Their head coach, Wouter Vrancken, has a team that can score and is hard to beat in their own ground. There is a sting in the tail, though. Hearts lost 7-1 away at Celtic Park this season, a result that shows how far the gap can open on a bad day.
Last season, Hearts came within minutes of becoming the first team outside the Old Firm to win the league since 1985. Celtic won the title with 82 points, the lowest winning total since 2017-18. This season Hearts are also playing in European competition, while Rangers are not.
Celtic and Rangers have been the division's most solid pair. They are the only two sides conceding fewer than one goal per game on average, and they rank in the top two for chances created and shots on target per game. Rangers' 2-2 draw with Hearts was a rare dropped point for them in that run.
The bottom of the table is far tighter. Kilmarnock are last, level on points with Hibernian and one point behind Motherwell. Manager Neil McCann has scored the joint-fewest goals in the league, so his side are struggling at both ends of the pitch. Their defensive figures are also a warning sign. In the last 10 seasons, only twice has the team with the worst defensive record avoided finishing bottom: Dundee in 2024-25, under Tony Docherty, and Hamilton Academical in 2017-18.
Over the last three seasons, the teams in the top six after 11 games have stayed in the top six at the end of the season in two of them. That gives the early table some weight, though a long season still has plenty of room for change.
The next round starts on Halloween. Dundee United host Hearts on 31 October at 3pm, and Kilmarnock play St Johnstone at the same time. Motherwell face St Mirren that day too. Falkirk then host Celtic on 1 November at 1pm. For Kilmarnock, every one of those games matters.
