Will Hearts prove their worth at the site of last season’s title heartbreak?

Hearts endured a devastating title‑deciding loss at Celtic Park in May, leaving their players to be escorted from a chaotic stadium onto the team bus still in their kits after an 11‑minute collapse that ended their championship hopes. While the 800 supporters at the match and the thousands watching from Gorgie shared the pain, the thought of returning to the champions’ home ground was almost unbearable.

Now, under the guidance of Wouter Vrancken, the Jambos have refreshed their squad and are ready to face a Celtic side that is struggling to satisfy a fanbase increasingly irritated after another heavy European defeat, this time to Benfica. Earlier this week, major Hearts backer Tony Bloom reiterated his confidence in the club’s title aspirations. Sunday’s 15:00 BST clash will offer a clue as to whether those hopes can be realised this season.

Vrancken has urged his players not to linger on past disappointments, stressing the need to focus on the upcoming game. He added that the team must generate “fire” in every match, especially in high‑profile fixtures, and avoid drawing negative energy from previous setbacks.

Hearts’ versatile midfielder Oisin McEntee, who featured in last season’s squad, dismissed the idea that the trip to Glasgow is a revenge mission. McEntee, who scored the opening goal against Nordsjælland in the Conference League, said the team simply wants to move forward. Hearts have won only two of their last 11 away league games and have not kept a clean sheet in any of those outings, but a 5‑0 victory over St Mirren last weekend marked the fifth win in seven matches under Vrancken’s early tenure.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, fresh from a 4‑1 Europa League win in Lisbon, remains optimistic despite a recent run of four defeats in five games. He praised his players for bouncing back after a poor first half against Benfica and highlighted the need for consistency. Although unrest between the Celtic board and supporters continues, the club has still claimed 14 of its last 15 league fixtures, scoring two or more goals in 11 of them. A win on Sunday could extend Celtic’s lead to four points, following Rangers’ draw at Dundee.

Historically, Celtic have dominated home league meetings with Hearts, winning 26 of the last 29, though they have lost two of the most recent six. In the previous season, Hearts earned seven points from four league encounters with Celtic – the highest tally for any non‑Old Firm side in a single campaign since 1999‑00.

O’Neill believes Hearts have re‑emerged as genuine challengers and expects a match as intense as the dramatic finale of last season. “I think it will be every bit as tough as it was on the last day of last season,” he said. “I genuinely think they are title challengers. They have lost two league games, but overall I think they can challenge.”