TO SAY Celtic romped to the Premiership title in Brendan Rodgers’ debut 2016/17 campaign would be taking understatement to the extreme.
The Hoops sealed their sixth successive championship with a rollicking, one-sided 5-0 triumph over Hearts on April 2 2017 at Tynecastle, coincidentally the venue where the league bid kicked off back on August 7 the previous year.
Scott Sinclair, who netted the winner at the start of the victorious odyssey in which the champions won 34 and drew four of their 38 league games, fired in a hat-trick in the capital as the home side were ripped to shreds.
THREE CHEERS…Scott Sinclair celebrates his hat-trick in Celtic’s 5-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle on April 2 2017.
The England international forward had the Parkhead men two goals ahead inside 27 minutes and added the fifth via the penalty spot six minutes from the end.
By that stage, Stuart Armstrong, in the 55th minute, and Patrick Roberts, six minutes later, had thumped efforts behind under-siege Jack Hamilton.
Remarkably, Celtic clinched the title with EIGHT games still to play. They scored 106 goals which matched their 106 points.
Nearest challengers Aberdeen were THIRTY points off the pace.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig (sub: Gamboa 80), Simunovic, Boyata (sub: Toure 87), Tierney; McGregor, Brown, Armstrong; Forrest, Sinclair, Roberts (sub: Mackay-Steven 79). Unused subs: Bailly, Bitton, Kouassi and Aitchison.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Ross County this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
