Celtic instant analysis as Kyogo and Kuhn show seals deal

Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn and substitute James Forrest saw the champions stroll to a 3-1 victory against Craig Levein's St Johnstone at Parkhead.

In a one-sided affair in Glasgow's east end, it was the Japanese talisman who bagged the opening goal after 40 minutes following a superb clipped delivery from Kuhn on the right which saw Kyogo fling himself at the ball and bury a brave header.

It was Kyogo's 15th goal of the season and he was denied a first-half hat-trick after seeing two goals wiped out due to offside which was confirmed by VAR.

The goalscorer then turned provider to supplier Kuhn in the 46th minute when he blindly centred across the face of goal and the German winger raced in at the back post to gleefully tap home to make it 2-0.

Kyogo then crashed another spectacular effort off the crossbar as the home side tried to extend their lead and they did that on 68 minutes when Forrest cracked home a superb third after being teed up by Matt O'Riley.

The Perth men grabbed one back to make it 3-1 with 10 minutes left on the clock when Connor Smith bundled home after Joe Hart had initially made a great save.

Alistair Johnston then had a goal ruled out for offside despite producing a stunning finish in the latter stages.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be delighted that his side took full advantage of the opportunity to apply some pressure on Rangers at the summit by reclaiming the top spot.

Philippe Clement's outfit are not in action until tomorrow when they take on Dundee at Dens Park.

Cool, calm and collected Kyogo claims number 15 and counting

The Japanese striker notched No.15 for the campaign with a brave header after a wonderful assist from Kuhn. Kyogo showed real bravery as he put his head in where it hurts to bag the crucial opening goal. The attacker also gave a masterclass in movement and could have and should have received more passes in the danger area if his teammates had been more switched on and alert. He was denied two goals due to the intervention of VAR after the offside flag was flashed up twice. However, he was not to be denied as he headed his team in front on 40 minutes with a Henrik Larsson-esque header. He was a real handful in the first half and a thorn in the flesh of the Saints' defence. He even smashed a chance over the top and nicked one just past following a trademark run to the near post. The 29-year-old was lively and sharp all afternoon and what a contribution he made as he broke down St Johnstone's stubborn resistance. When Kyogo is in this kind of mood and is utilised in his favoured position and playing on the shoulder of the last defender, he is the best striker in Scotland bar none. It was Kyogo's accurate low centre on 46 minutes that was gleefully gobbled up by Kuhn to put the game to bed before he crashed another drive off the crossbar. There is no doubt when Kyogo is on song that Celtic is a much better team with him leading the line.

Kuhn grabs another goal and assist and is finally looking the part

The German winger was dangerous all day and he linked well with Kyogo. He produced a fabulous assist for the Japanese attacker's goal with a teasing delivery from the right, begging to be headed home and Kyogo obliged. He should have had two first-half assists as his cross led to an earlier Kyogo effort also being ruled out. It was easy to see why Rodgers showed faith in Kuhn and gave him the nod to start for the second game in succession and he certainly did not disappoint. The £3 million signing from Rapid Vienna looked up for the battle and he was eager to create chances for his teammates. The early jury was harsh on Kuhn but there are increasing signs of encouragement with his last two displays and he is steadily finding his feet in a Celtic jersey. That's twice in two matches that the 24-year-old has produced his best football so far under Rodgers. What a start to the second half as Kyogo turned provider for the opening goal supplier as the striker blindly fired the ball across the face and Kuhn made a great run and tapped home for an easy second goal. It's not a stretch to say that Kuhn has fully recovered from his operation to remove his wisdom teeth and is beginning to show that he is settling in. He seems to have discovered his deft touch and he looks like an entirely different player. It was no surprise when he left the field to a standing ovation and rousing reception on 62 minutes. Kuhn showed the kind of guile that Rodgers will be looking for to help exploit opposition teams' backlines and he could well prove to be a potent weapon in the title run-in.

Iwata continues to impress in the engine room

Tomoki Iwata strolled through the 90 minutes in Paradise and he looked every inch a Rolls Royce of a player. Rodgers may well have a real dilemma on his hands when Iwata's compatriot Reo Hatate returns to full fitness. It will be interesting to see if the Northern Irishman would favour a midfield three of McGregor, Hatate and Iwata when everybody is fully fit, especially now that the Danish international appears to have gone off the boil. Iwata though will be wondering how he never scored when his piledriver was hacked off the line. The Japanese midfielder would also be entitled to ask the officials what the difference is between his handball at Tynecastle that he was penalised for and the one that St Johnstone got away in the opening period when the ball struck the visiting player's arm but no spot-kick was awarded. Iwata was utterly dominant in the midfield and did not put a foot wrong and he was clearly instructed to feed the wide players and go down the flanks whenever he could as he did that at will. The Celtic faithful do appreciate the skill set that he brings to the table. Iwata produced a solid, effective display. He is a cool customer and is a class act.

Celtic back to the Premiership summit...for 24 hours at least

Rodgers's men showed great appetite and desire to get the job done against St Johnstone. The hosts were patient even when VAR decisions went against them and they were well-drilled disciplined and focused on the task at hand. The Northern Irishman will be delighted at the contribution of Kyogo and Kuhn as well as the returning Cameron Carter-Vickers. Even the evergreen Forrest got in on the goalscoring act which put a more realistic reflection on the scoreline. Celtic did what they had to do and now the pendulum of Premiership pressure swings back to challengers Rangers. As an aside Celtic's victory made sure that the men in green and white kept up their record against Craig Levein who has never tasted success at Parkhead. It was a professional performance from the champions who showed real energy and created a host of chances. A win was essential and with eight games to go in Celtic's league campaign, it remains to be seen if Rodgers's team can remain in pole position.