Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has lavished praise on a youngster who’s impressed in training at Lennoxtown.
Celtic seal vital win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie
Celtic’s title ambitions are very much alive, and last night’s win at Pittodrie could prove to be one of the most important results of their season.
O’Neill’s side travelled to Aberdeen knowing exactly what was at stake. A win would lift them above Rangers into second place and cut Hearts’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to five points with games still in hand.
They delivered, though not without drama.
Kieran Tierney, making a habit of scoring in big moments, broke the deadlock after just five minutes — his header from a Liam Scales flick-on gave Celtic the perfect start.
The lead lasted only until the 19th minute, when Kevin Nisbet converted from the spot after Scales was penalised for a foul inside the box. From there it was a tense, often scrappy affair, with Celtic lacking the cutting edge to put the game to bed.
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Then came the moment that settled it.
Benjamin Nygren, introduced from the bench as O’Neill shuffled his options, prodded home from close range in the 67th minute to restore Celtic’s lead. It stood.
The final whistle at Pittodrie confirmed Celtic in second place, five points behind Hearts, and back in the hunt for a title that seemed to be drifting away from them just days ago.
This was their third game in six days and a third result that gave them something to build on. The Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox now awaits on Sunday — but last night was about getting the three points, and they got them.
What made the evening particularly noteworthy, however, was not just the result but one of the stories that surrounded it — and O’Neill was eager to talk about it afterwards.
Dane Murray pulled up during the pre-match warm-up, leaving the Celtic manager with a defensive crisis to solve with barely minutes to spare.
The solution was Benjamin Arthur, the young 20-year-old centre-back on loan from Brentford, who was suddenly thrust into only his second appearance for the club and his first ever start.
Arthur, who has been described as a ‘unit’ and a ‘young van Dijk’ by Dundee boss Steven Pressley before, barely got a sniff game time before last night’s clash up north, but he impressed.
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It could not have been a more daunting situation.
Pittodrie on a Wednesday night, a title race heating up, and barely a warm-up to prepare, but Arthur didn’t flinch.
He was assured, calm on the ball, handled the physical demands of the Aberdeen attack with composure well beyond his years, and walked away with the man of the match award.
O’Neill was full of admiration speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, making clear how the youngster impressed in training and how he could become a real one to watch.
“He has shown really good attributes in training,” O’Neill said.
“I think he’ll be a player in time.”
The manager was equally quick to acknowledge just how difficult the circumstances were for the young defender, who had gone from thinking he might get a few minutes off the bench to being told he was starting just 15 minutes before kick-off.
“This was a big game for him to be thrown in,” O’Neill added.
“Because your mind, when you’re a substitute in the game, you’re thinking well, I might get on at some stage or another, but you’re not thinking about 15 or 20 minutes before kick-off that you’re just going to step in the game.”
As for whether Arthur has been enjoying his time in Glasgow, O’Neill gave a characteristically wry answer.
“I think he’s enjoying his time up here. You’ll probably interview him, and he’ll say something completely different. But, overall, I was delighted with him.”
Given what awaits at Ibrox on Sunday, O’Neill will have plenty of thinking to do.
Auston Trusty is available again and offers experienced options at the back, but Arthur has just made that selection headache a great deal more interesting.
The Scottish giants are set to battle it out…