Overview

• Craig Halkett headed the opener before Claudio Braga struck twice after the break to seal Hearts’ fifth straight victory.
• The league leaders have kept four consecutive Premiership clean sheets, extending their shutout run to 471 minutes.
• Hearts will host Celtic next Sunday at least two points ahead, with the champions still to play their game in hand at Dundee.
• Derek McInnes described the upcoming Celtic tie as the toughest challenge and said his players are in a good place after the Rugby Park win.
• A summer rebuild backed by Tony Bloom-linked investment and data has underpinned the surge, with Braga joint top scorer on five and Alexandros Kyziridis leading the league with four assists.