Martin O'Neill's Celtic suffered their first defeat to Dundee United in 21 matches, a 2-0 loss at Tannadice, leaving the champions five points behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership title race and two behind Rangers in second place. O'Neill called the result a 'setback' but insisted his side remain contenders, stating they 'are not finished yet'. The manager criticized Celtic's second-half performance, claiming they 'lost their way completely' after conceding early goals.

Captain Callum McGregor echoed O'Neill's sentiment, urging calm heads despite the emotional situation, emphasizing Celtic's trophy-winning experience and their position in the final seven games. Pundit James McFadden agreed Celtic are not yet out of the title race but highlighted the 'alarming' regression from last season's standards, pointing to unresolved transfer issues as a source of fan frustration. Former striker Chris Sutton labeled Celtic's season an 'embarrassment', suggesting Sunday's result could be pivotal in the title battle.