Celtic Women 5-0 Hearts Women: Three talking points

By Jessica Elliott

Celtic put out a statement with a convincing 5-0 win over Hearts

After a dominant 5-0 victory over Hearts on Celtic Women’s return to Paradise, here are three talking points from the big occasion:

 

Murphy Agnew is nailed-on

 

With three goals to her name on the Ghirls’ return to Paradise, Murphy Agnew has certainly made a name for herself in recent weeks.

 

The American, who joined Celtic in the summer, has been used perfectly in the Ghirls’ tactical setup. Her pace allows her to quickly run in behind if a through ball is played to her and she has the willpower to stay composed on the ball should she have to get past a defender.

 

Although Elena Sadiku has said that there are multiple factors to take into consideration when choosing her team sheet,  it’s safe to say Agnew will be one of the first names on there for the foreseeable future.

 

This is Celtic’s year

 

Hearts manager Eva Olid spoke to the media after the game, saying: “For me, Celtic [are the best team in the league]. And[are]so clear.

The Hearts boss was full of praise for her opponents (Image: Getty Images)

 

“You can see that they are so ready, and I think that this year is Celtic’s year.”

 

Strong words from the Hearts manager, but will she be proven right?

 

Rangers led the league for weeks before losing to the Jambos on Wednesday night, a result that saw Celtic go top of the table.

 

Celtic FC Women have never won the Scottish Women’s Premier League although they did come close last season, being denied by Glasgow City with mere seconds to go.

 

The players are hopeful of being able to get their hands on their first league title this season though, with Colette Cavanagh saying that the girls are “using [last year’s title loss] as motivation to hang onto the top spot for as long as possible.”

 

Flint’s impact

 

Let’s talk about how Tash Flint is being utilised in Elena Sadiku’s tactical setup.

 

Yesterday, Agnew was acting as a lone striker a lot of the time as Flint was dropping deep to assist the midfield, sometimes getting so far back that she looked like a defensive midfielder.

 

 

Since returning to Celtic in the January window, Flint has scored on nine occasions. It’s likely that the Celts will be looking to keep her in Scotland this time around, but is the forward happy enough in Glasgow to want to stay?

 

Only time will tell but it’s clear that she has a huge love for the club. Again though, the SWPL can’t match the money being offered across the border, so if Liverpool or another WSL side were to give her a chance, then she may leave Celtic again.

SportJessica Elliott