talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has weighed in with his say on Celtic and their last-gasp penalty to set up a mouth-watering Scottish Premiership title decider against Hearts on Saturday.
Celtic seal dramatic late win at Motherwell via controversial penalty
It was the kind of night that will be talked about in Scotland for years to come.
Celtic travelled to Fir Park on Wednesday knowing anything less than a win could end their title challenge.
They were trailing. They were level. They were trailing again. And then, in the 99th minute, with the game deep into stoppage time and the match nearly over, VAR intervened — and everything changed.
Referee John Beaton was called to the pitchside monitor by video assistant Andrew Dallas after the ball appeared to strike Sam Nicholson’s raised hand as the Motherwell defender attempted to head a long throw clear of his penalty area.
Beaton took one look and pointed to the spot.
Kelechi Iheanacho, who had only come off the bench in the 70th minute, stepped up and sent goalkeeper Calum Ward the wrong way. Celtic Park on Saturday was back on.
The drama at Fir Park was extraordinary.
Nottingham Forest set to launch move for Celtic star who Desmond is now willing to sell
The Tricky Trees are expected to make a move for an “amazing” player.
Motherwell had taken the lead through an Elliot Watt strike in the 17th minute, and for a spell they looked more than capable of holding on. Daizen Maeda — in the form of his life with 12 league goals and six assists this season — equalised before the break, and Benjamin Nygren’s stunning 25-yard effort on 58 minutes turned the game on its head.
Celtic looked to be cruising towards all three points.
Then Liam Gordon struck in the 85th minute to level it at 2-2, and suddenly the maths shifted dramatically. Had the game ended there, Martin O’Neill‘s side would have needed to beat Hearts by a landslide on Saturday to overturn the goal difference gap.
Instead, Iheanacho’s penalty means Celtic simply need to win.
Hearts, for their part, had done their job.
A 3-0 home victory over Falkirk earlier in the evening maintained their one-point lead at the top of the table, and celebrations were well underway at Tynecastle before news of Iheanacho’s spot-kick filtered through.
Derek McInnes’ side are still in control of their own destiny — avoid defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday, and they will be crowned champions of Scotland for the first time since 1960.
But the mood has shifted, and what looked like a coronation now feels like a knife-edge.
Gabriel Agbonlahor makes Celtic penalty claim in West Ham comparison
The penalty decision itself has sparked fierce debate.
talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor was unimpressed, drawing a pointed comparison with the controversial West Ham disallowed goal against Arsenal in the Premier League.
“The worst part about it for me was, when you look at the West Ham disallowed goal [against Arsenal], five minutes,” said the ex-Aston Villa striker.
“Last night, the referee went over, and it looked like he had a glance for a second, turned around, penalty.
“I didn’t like it, mate.”
The contrast Agbonlahor highlights is a fair one.
VAR decisions in the Premier League have regularly taken several minutes of careful review, with referees studying multiple angles before reaching a conclusion.
At Fir Park, Beaton’s visit to the monitor was brief — a quick glance at the footage before making a call that could ultimately decide the destination of a league title.
Whether the decision was correct or not, the speed with which it was reached will leave a bitter taste for Motherwell and Hearts fans alike.
For O’Neill, it was a familiar story. His previous trip to Fir Park as Celtic manager, back in 2005, saw Scott McDonald’s late double hand Rangers the title in agonising fashion.
This time, the late drama worked in his favour.
Saturday’s title decider kicks off at 12:30pm. Celtic Park will be electric. Hearts will be ready, and the ghosts of Wednesday night will hang over every moment.
He’s saving the board: Celtic look like they’ve found their new Matt O’Riley
Celtic look like they have found their new version of Matt O’Riley after the win over Motherwell.