Manager: It was a good performance and a well-deserved win

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Celtic F.C.

·14 septembre 2024

Manager: It was a good performance and a well-deserved win

Brendan Rodgers was pleased with another league victory for his side, who have now made the best start to a look campaign by any Celtic side since 1906 – winning their first five league games without conceding a goal.

Goals from two of the manager’s recent signings, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan, gave the Hoops a 2-0 victory over Hearts in a match that Celtic dominated for large swathes of the game.

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Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, Brendan Rodgers said: “On the back of an international break, you always hope the players will come back and show up, and I thought there were a lot of moments in the game where we were very good.

“Hearts came to make it very difficult, they worked very hard and had good physicality in the team, but if we’d scored the goal earlier – we had a few chances – then it opens the game up for you.

“We didn’t quite manage to do that but I still thought we looked lively and creative and big Craig made a couple of good saves as well.

“In these games you have to show up, and the players showed up very well. We kept pushing, we got the penalty and then the second goal, and unfortunately the third goal was ruled out for offside, but it was very pleasing.”

Celtic’s opening goal came from Man of the Match, Arne Engels, who converted a penalty six minutes after the break after a VAR review ruled that James Penrice had handled the ball inside the box.

And with two minutes remaining, Luke McCowan made the points secure with an impressive strike from the edge of the area which Craig Gordon couldn’t keep out despite getting a hand to the ball.

The manager said of Engels’ penalty, “It was a really cool finish and he showed great composure to do that, so I’m really pleased for Arne.

“I thought he was excellent in the game – good running, good physicality and finished it with real aplomb.

'And it was such a special moment for Luke, being a Celtic supporter, to score in the game and have that feeling with the crowd.'

“I think they all saw the joy that he’s had for himself and for everyone by becoming a Celtic player, and I think he felt that in the whole stadium when he got his goal.

“So it was a really special moment for him and a really good finish against big Craig, who’s a top keeper.”