SPL breakdown

Mulgrew: Set-piece menace

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After another topsy-turvy round of matches, the Scottish Premier League remains as tight as ever.

Following their 3-3 draw with Falkirk, Celtic failed to bounce back and were duly defeated 2-1 by Dundee United, whilst Hibs' away form once again undermined their ambitions as they drew 1-1 at St Mirren Park, leaving Rangers to take the initiative and seize top spot.

With the "Old Firm" starting to look decidedly vulnerable, Opta investigate the fallout of the latest round of matches.

The End of the Old Firm?

A casual glance at this season's Scottish Premier League table would suggest that the competition is running its usual course, with Celtic and Rangers leading the way as they have in so many seasons before.

However this campaign is one of the closest ever, with just three points separating the top four and with Dundee United having a game in hand over their opponents.

Though Hibernian and Dundee United are performing well, one of the main reasons for the lack of space at the top of the table is that the two Old Firm teams aren't winning as often as they have done in the past.

Indeed, in the last seven matchdays on which the old rivals have both played, there hasn't been a single one where both Glasgow sides have won:

Though between them they have lost only one SPL match on the last seven matchdays when they have played together, Celtic and Rangers have not won on the same weekend since matchday three, when the Bhoys beat Hibs and the 'Gers defeated Hamilton.

Betting punters will certainly have become aware of this pattern when including the Old Firm in their accumulators, as this sort of a run is highly out of the ordinary in the SPL.

In fact, this is the first time ever that at least one side has failed to win on seven consecutive matchdays in the competition when they have both been playing (not inc. games against each other):

Previously, the longest run of matchdays in which one of the Old Firm sides failed to win was five games, but so far this season there has already been a run of seven.

Interestingly four of the five runs of five or more matchdays when one team has failed to win have come in the last five seasons, suggesting that this is a modern trend, with the Old Firm gradually losing their once-tight grip on Scottish top-flight competition in recent years.

Can Rangers hold on to top spot?

Following Celtic's defeat to Dundee United at the weekend, Rangers reclaimed top spot in the SPL with a comfortable victory over Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

However they should perhaps not become too comfortable in their position, as this weekend they travel to Pittodrie, aside from Celtic Park, their least favourite ground in the SPL:

Aberdeen's is the only ground, aside from Celtic's, where the 'Gers have won under 50 per cent of their SPL matches.

This tendency has been even worse for the Teddy Bears in recent seasons, as they have won on just one of their last trips to Aberdeen:

In 13 SPL clashes with the Bhoys, the Saints have managed just one point - only Livingston have a poorer record against Celtic:

Given these past records, and the aforementioned fact that Celtic and Rangers are both struggling to win on the same matchday this season, it would seem as though it would be the Bhoys who would be the more hopeful side going into this weekend's clashes.

Charlie Mulgrew - Set Piece Menace

Aberdeen have not been the most prolific of sides in the Scottish Premier League this season, scoring only 10 goals in their 12 games so far.

However, they do have one lethal weapon in the form of Charlie Mulgrew - the left back who has been involved in half of their league goals in 2009/10.

Mulgrew has assisted three goals this season and scored two.

The goals both came from direct free kicks, whereas two of the assists, including one last time out against Motherwell, came from set pieces, and the lofty left-footer has been involved in more goals from set pieces this season (four) than any other player in the Scottish top flight.

Rangers should be wary of committing too many fouls in their own half when they come up against the Dons on Saturday.