Celtic are once again back in action in the Scottish Premiership this evening as they prepare to travel to take on St Mirren in the televised kick-off.
The Hoops are currently 13 points clear of Rangers, in second place, in the top-flight table and there are only ten matches left to play before the end of the season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side ensured that they maintained their 13-point lead with an emphatic 5-1 win over Aberdeen at Parkhead last time out on Tuesday night.
Daizen Maeda found the back of the net twice and Jota, Callum McGregor, and Hyun-jun Yang also added their names to the scoresheet, to secure a comfortable win in Glasgow.
Despite not scoring any of the five goals, the star of the show – as Football FanCast pointed out after the match – was central midfielder Arne Engels.
The Belgian ace arrived from Augsburg for a club-record fee of £11m last summer and has enjoyed a strong debut campaign with the Scottish giants so far.
Arne Engels' impressive form this season
Engels has racked up nine goals and 12 assists in all competitions for the Hoops in the 2024/25 season to date, as he closes in on hitting double figures for goals and assists.
His two most recent assists came in the 5-1 win over Aberdeen as he teed up Jota for a tap-in and bundled the ball through to McGregor for his strike.
The 21-year-old talent created a whopping six chances in the win over the Dons, as he consistently split open the opposition’s defence to create opportunities for his teammates to score, and he won six of his seven duels in the match.
His attacking qualities have been on display throughout the 2024/25 season with Celtic, as the Belgium international has caught the eye with his performances in the Premiership.
Appearances (starts)
25 (16)
Goals
8
Big chances missed
1
Big chances created
10
Assists
5
As you can see in the table above, Engels has been incredibly ruthless in front of goal, missing one ‘big chance’, whilst his teammates have let him down with their wasteful finishing.
His tally of five assists from ten ‘big chances’ created suggests that his fellow attackers have not made the most of the high-quality opportunities that he has created for them.
Whilst Engels should keep his place in the middle of the park alongside McGregor, who scored against the Dons, Rodgers could make a change to his midfield by ruthlessly dropping Reo Hatate from the starting line-up.
Why Reo Hatate should be dropped
The Japan international played the opening 59 minutes of the win against Aberdeen but did not manage to secure himself a goal or an assist to contribute to the victory.
That is not to say that he had a poor evening, as the midfielder won three of his four ground duels and completed 88% of his attempted passes, but the 27-year-old star has not been at his influential best in the final third in recent weeks.
Hatate has only recorded two assists, whilst failing to score a single goal, in his last 13 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, with an assist against Hibernian and one against Aston Villa for Adam Idah in the Champions League.
The Japanese dynamo’s recent dry patch at the top end of the pitch is a surprise because the central midfielder is a technically brilliant player who does have the quality to make a big impact in the final third.
Appearances
28
Goals
6
Big chances created
8
Assists
2
Ground duel success rate
46%
Aerial duel success rate
38%
As you can see in the table above, Hatate has offered a threat as both a scorer of goals and a creator of high-quality chances for his teammates from a midfield position, although he has struggled slightly in physical battles with opposition players on the deck and in the air.
However, his attacking play has not been on full display as of late and that is why Rodgers should drop him from the starting line-up for this clash with St Mirren, unleashing Luke McCowan alongside Engels in the middle of the park in his place.
Why Luke McCowan should start
The Scottish star, who arrived on a permanent deal from Dundee last summer, has been an excellent option for Rodgers to call upon when he has wanted to rotate his side this season.
McCowan once again showcased his ability at the top end of the pitch when he came on as a substitute against Aberdeen on Tuesday night, assisting Yang’s goal with a pass to the forward in the box.
The left-footed star has scored a goal and provided two assists in his last five appearances for the Hoops in all competitions, which suggests that he has been in better form than Hatate of late and would be the better option to select from the start this evening.
McCowan, who was described as a “game winner” by Marvin Bartley, has been a reliable operator in the Premiership and has even outperformed the Japan international, as an attacking force, over the course of the league campaign.
Appearances (starts)
28 (18)
27 (14)
Goals
6
7
Key passes per game
1.0
1.4
Big chances created
8
8
Assists
2
5
As you can see in the table above, the former Dundee star has scored more goals, created as many ‘big chances’, and registered more assists despite playing and starting fewer matches in the division.
These statistics suggest that McCowan has a bigger impact on the team’s attacking play, certainly at Premiership level, as the midfielder can create chances and score goals with greater regularity, and that is why he could be a joy to watch alongside Engels against St Mirren this evening.
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Rodgers should unleash both of the attacking midfield stars as part of the midfield three with McGregor in an attempt to put the opposition to the sword again with a ruthless display in the final third.