Scottish Premiership Preview: Key Matches and Players to Watch
The Scottish Premiership fixture list may be lighter this weekend, but there is still much to anticipate as we head into round three.
Celtic and Hearts are the only teams currently boasting maximum points, while Aberdeen remains the sole team yet to register a point this season.
The Dons will have to wait to change their fortunes, as both they and Hibernian have opted to postpone their matches against Dundee United and Falkirk, respectively, to concentrate on their European play-offs.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s on the agenda...
Game of the Weekend: St Mirren vs. Rangers (Sunday 12:00 BST)
Rangers have had a challenging start to the season, drawing both of their Premiership matches so far.
The discontent from fans following a recent 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox was amplified during their Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge, where they fell behind 3-0 before losing 3-1.
It has been since 1989 that Rangers have failed to secure a victory in their first three league matches, and head coach Russell Martin is eager to avoid another domestic setback with Celtic looming after the return leg in Belgium.
Meanwhile, St Mirren aims to extend their unbeaten streak against Rangers to four matches. The last encounter in Paisley ended in a 2-2 draw, and St Mirren achieved a 2-1 victory on Boxing Day.
In their previous match, St Mirren celebrated their first win at Ibrox since 1991, marking back-to-back victories over Rangers for the first time since the 1979-80 season.
Although St Mirren is still searching for their first league goal this season, they are buoyed by their recent penalty shootout victory over Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup. They will be looking to add to their tally of six goals in three games against Rangers, especially after League 1 side Alloa Athletic managed to score twice at Ibrox in the same cup competition.
Martin is in the process of rebuilding a squad that secured only eight away wins in the Premiership last season, while Robinson, with a significantly smaller budget, has managed to achieve three consecutive top-six finishes through effective organization.
Player to Watch: Stuart Findlay (Hearts)
Stuart Findlay currently shares the top spot in the Premiership scoring charts with three goals. The central defender is just one goal shy of his personal best in the competition and has the opportunity to become the first player to score in each of his first three top-flight appearances for Hearts since Rudi Skacel in the 2005-06 season.
Findlay made an impressive debut for the Jambos, scoring just six minutes into the League Cup match against Hamilton Accies. However, their cup run ended recently, interrupted by St Mirren after a streak of six consecutive victories.
Head coach Derek McInnes is eager to get back on track with a home match against Motherwell, who have struggled historically at Tynecastle, losing six of their last seven league visits.
While much emphasis has been placed on the analytical approach to recruitment at Gorgie, McInnes did not require any data to recognize Findlay’s potential, ensuring he followed him from Kilmarnock this summer.
Manager in the Spotlight: Stuart Kettlewell (Kilmarnock)
Many Kilmarnock fans were initially skeptical about Stuart Kettlewell's appointment to replace McInnes, but an unbeaten start to the season may have begun to win over some of the critics.
Kettlewell looks forward to a home tie against St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals and aims to maintain the positive momentum with Saturday's match against Dundee at Rugby Park.
Kilmarnock has been unbeaten in their last six home league matches against Dundee, with three wins and three draws.
New strikers Marcus Dackers and Djenairo Daniels have already found the net, while Ben Brannan has emerged as a breakthrough talent this season, and David Watson is thriving as a first-choice midfielder.
Both of Kilmarnock's league matches have ended in 2-2 draws. They relinquished a two-goal lead at home to Livingston due to a red card but showed resilience by coming back from a 2-0 deficit at Easter Road.
A win on Saturday would be a significant boost for Kettlewell, who is preparing for a visit to Fir Park next, following his departure from Motherwell in January due to personal abuse.
Pick of the Stats
Defending champions Celtic will host Livingston on Saturday, and the West Lothian side has yet to win in any of their 21 visits to Celtic Park, recording three draws and 18 losses.
Celtic has faced only Dumbarton more times at home in their history without suffering a loss, with 26 encounters.