Source: BBC Football
Leaders Hearts in ‘dreamland’ but might it get even better?Image source,SNSImage caption,Lawrence Shankland (left) is back as the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer this seasonByClive LindsayBBC Sport ScotlandPublished1 November 2025Watch Hearts v Dundee highlights01/11/25Watch on iPlayerFour more goals, three more points and now nine clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership – perhaps Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay was right when he blithely said “we will win the league” before Dundee’s visit.He did qualify that claim by stating it might not be this season – rather one further in the future – but, with every game that goes by, the Tynecastle side are enhancing their credentials to break the Old Firm’s title duopoly.Head coach Derek McInnes was more reserved, simply stating that completing a quarter of the league season in such a healthy position was “a good reference point”.Hearts were fortunate to escape Paisley with a point on Wednesday, a result which allowed Celtic to narrow the gap to six.But his side took advantage of the reigning champions being on League Cup duty this weekend to extend their lead with a 4-0 win over Dundee.And McInnes admitted: “We said the point at St Mirren would be a brilliant and important point if we won today – and that’s the way it has been.”A few weeks ago, we set a challenge to players, ‘can we be above Celtic before we play them?’. And then ‘can we be top of the league after the first round of fixtures?’.”We’ve boxed off that little section now and we need to go again for the start of the next round.”Hearts ease aside Dundee to go nine clear at topHonorary role for Budge as Hearts reveal new chairPublished3 days agoLatest Hearts news, analysis & fan views’We feel there is more in us’Hearts’ statistics in those first 11 games are impressive.With 29 points, McInnes’ side are one win away from equalling the tally they achieved after 12 games under George Burley at the start of the 2005-06 campaign – and this time they do not have a megalomaniac owner poised to sack the manager.Hearts are undefeated in their last 15 Premiership games – their longest unbeaten streak for more than 10 years – and the division’s only unbeaten side.They have scored at least once in all 15 of those games – also their best run a decade – and no side has prevented them from scoring.In Lawrence Shankland, they have a striker reborn. The Scotland international’s opener against Dundee – his third in as many games – took him to the top of the Premiership charts with seven. His 10 overall has already surpassed last season’s tally.At the back, they have now amassed six league clean sheets – as many as any other side – with Dundee failing to fashion a single attempt on target in a game for the first time since facing Hearts in December.Hearts also made 610 passes on Saturday, their highest total in a league game this term, with midfielder Cammy Devlin attempting 109 – the highest total by a player in the team this term.Everything sounds…
Published: 2025-11-01T22:34:58
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