Motherwell 0-4 Celtic: Rampant attacking display sees visitors consolidate top spot

Celtic winger Liel Abada capitalised on slack Motherwell defending to give the visitors the lead

Celtic consolidated their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership after a rampant attacking display at Motherwell extended their unbeaten league run to 19 league games.

Motherwell improved after the break but still shipped a fourth when Daizen Maeda's wildly-deflected effort looped in.

The win sends Ange Postecoglou's side four points clear, but reigning champions Rangers will have the chance to return that gap to a single point when they host Hearts at 16:00 GMT.

Motherwell remain fourth, but are still searching for their first league win of 2022 and are now just four points clear of ninth.

• Reaction & as it happened

Not since December 2015 had the Lanarkshire side taken three points against Celtic in the league, and with Postecoglou's exhilarating team coming off the back of a huge derby victory on Wednesday, the hosts' wait was expected to continue.

But Motherwell withstood early pressure, with Abada's first-time finish stopped by the foot of Liam Kelly before the Israeli winger's dangerous low ball across was cut out by the Motherwell goalkeeper.

The hosts, with no recognised winger in their line up for the second game running, were happy to flood the centre of the park and press Celtic high.

That method seemed to nullify the visitors and as a result the Fir Park side showed signs of building momentum, although Kelly had to be alert with his right boot again to deny Giorgos Giakoumakis' low drive across goal.

But for all the hosts' impressive work inside the opening 28 minutes, they found themselves two down in the following three.

First, dreadful defending from the Motherwell defence allowed Reo Hatate to bend a low ball into the path of the arriving Abada to bury, similar to his midweek goal against Rangers.

Rogic, on his return after international duty, added a quickfire second with a divine 20-yard effort into the top-left corner.

And 14 minutes later, on the stroke of half-time, the Australia international had his second and Celtic's third. Abada was the provider again, sliding a ball across for Rogic to finish first time past Kelly at close range.

Alexander made three half-time changes, one being debutant Joe Efford, who made an instant impact, forcing Joe Hart up to his right to parry a deflected effort before the American flashed another strike wide of the near post.

Up the other end, Celtic captain Callum McGregor failed to add to his side's tally when he drilled a strike of his own over on the break.

But the away side got their fourth in fortuitous fashion when Maeda's strike from just inside the box looped high in air via a deflection off Bevis Mugabi and dropped into the net.

The Japan forward had a golden chance to make it five moments later after substitute Jota found the striker free in the middle, but the 24-year-old cushioned his finish over.

The ruthless attacking mentality Postecoglou has instilled in his Celtic side was evident until the final whistle as Rogic looked for a hat-trick, first steering a near-post strike off the outside of the right-hand post then finishing low into the arms of Kelly shortly after.

Four it would finish for Celtic, though, making it seven goals in their last two games without reply as they remain in top spot.

Man of the match - Tom Rogic

The 29-year-old, arguably Celtic's player of the season so far, could have quite easily had a hat-trick of assists and goals in a mesmerising performance

What did we learn?

Overall, Celtic's domestic form has been outstanding since defeat at Livingston in September. But it is now nine away league wins in their last 10, a relentless run of form on the road that has been key in their title bid.

In Rogic, Postecoglou is showing that not only is he getting his money's worth out of his new arrivals, but he is also improving the players he inherited.

The attacking midfielder looked to be on his way out of Celtic last season, but his manager and fellow countryman has reignited the spark inside the Australia international.

As for Motherwell, Efford's introduction highlighted instantly why Alexander got his team selection wrong.

Cheap defending cost the hosts the opener, but they were winning the ball back in promising positions. With a direct, pacey attacking threat at the top end of the pitch to stretch the visiting backline, they could have got more joy.

With a trip to Dundee United to come in midweek, a game that could see the Fir Park club drop out the top four, it is now on Alexander to find an attacking formula that is going to bring his side goals.

What did they say?

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander: "Teams can play as well as you let them, but I don't think we did that. We were in our best spell when they scored the first goal and we certainly could've done better on that.

"It was a difficult afternoon for us. My players never gave up, they kept going right to the end. We now have a massive game on Wednesday."

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "We like to play a certain way. We don't want to be a team that grinds out results, we want to get the fans off their seats and have a good time.

"We want to be relentless. We didn't come here to shut up shop after three goals, we want to get four, five, six. We will be doing that until the end of the season until we rest or we drop to the ground."

What's next?

Both sides are in Premiership action on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) as Motherwell travel to Dundee United and Celtic go to Aberdeen.