BRENDAN RODGERS’ current Celtic side have a more impressive record after five Premiership outings than the phenomenal Invincibles outfit that swept all before them in season 2016/17.
The Irishman celebrated a breathtaking debut campaign as Ronny Deila’s successor by leading the team to a spectacular domestic silverware clean sweep without the loss of a solitary game.
Back then, Moussa Dembele had taken over from Leigh Griffiths as the Hoops’ main striking threat following his glorious hat-trick against Mark Warburton’s shell-shocked Ibrox visitors on the sunlit afternoon of September 10 2016 at Parkhead.
HAPPY DAZE…Moussa Dembele tucks away one of his superb hat-trick past Wes Foderingham in Celtic’s 5-1 derby win in September 2016.
That was the club’s fourth league victory in a row, but, unexpectedly, the champions dropped two points in a 2-2 draw with Inverness Caley Thistle in the Highlands the following weekend.
Their run of success was halted when a last-gasp header from Alex Fisher eluded keeper Dorus de Vries at his far post to snatch victory from the visitors.
After five games, the Hoops had claimed 17 strikes and conceded seven for a goal difference of 10 while collecting 13 points.
Today’s side have racked up five consecutive wins, netting 14 times and conceding none for a goal difference of 14 with 15 points.
HAPPY DAZE…Callum McGregor celebrates his strike in the 3-0 derby triumph on September 1.
How the records compare:
INVINCIBLES
August 7, 2016
Hearts 1 (Walker pen), CELTIC 2 (Forrest, Sinclair)
August 20
St Johnstone 2 (Swanson pen, MacLean), CELTIC 4 (Griffiths, Sinclair, Forrest, Christie)
August 27
CELTIC 4 (Griffiths, Forrest, Sinclair pen, Rogic), Aberdeen 1 (Rooney)
September 10
CELTIC 5 (Dembele 3, Sinclair, Armstrong), Rangers 1 (Garner)
September 18
Inverness Caley Thistle 2 (King, Fisher), CELTIC 2 (Rogic, Sinclair)
PRESENT-DAY CELTIC
August 4 2024
CELTIC 4 (Hatate, Scales, Kuhn, Ralston), Kilmarnock 0
August 11
Hibs 0 CELTIC 2 (Kuhn, McGregor)
August 25
St Mirren 0 CELTIC 3 (McGregor, Hatate, Johnston)
September 1
CELTIC 3 (Maeda, Kyogo, McGregor), Rangers 0
September 14
CELTIC 2 (Engels pen, McCowan), Hearts 0
