Martin O’Neill has drawn comparisons to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side as Celtic prepare to begin their Scottish Premiership post-split campaign.
Celtic begin their end-of-season run-in against Falkirk and start it three points off league leaders Hearts, but still hold the cards in the race.
Arsenal are also locked in a battle with Manchester City in the Premier League and O’Neill has said that he and Arteta are experiencing similar problems.
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Martin O'Neill instructs his Celtic teammates during their SPFL clash against Motherwell
Credit: Getty Images/Ian MacNicol
Martin O’Neill on Celtic’s title challenge
Keeping cool under pressure is going to be key and the Hoops boss believes that keeping cool mentally is more important than the actual football on the pitch.
He told Celtic TV: “I would say if you were to ask Mikel Arteta now at this moment about getting players to play with a bit of freedom rather than being tense, that’s very, very difficult to do when you are fighting for something.
“That point cuts through everything else around Celtic’s season. The issue is not whether they can create chances or control games, it is whether they can do it without tension affecting their decisions.
O’Neill reinforced that message by simplifying the approach. He said, “It’s a reset now… just concentrate on this first game, that’s all that matters.”
Martin O'Neill, Interim Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the Scottish Cup Semi Final match between Celtic and St Mirren
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
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Recent performances show why control matters
The semi-final win over St Mirren offered a clear example of the problem. Celtic were flat and disjointed for long periods before the game opened up late.
That pattern reflects a team feeling the pressure rather than playing through it. The quality was still there when space appeared, but it was not consistently applied.
Celtic were well off the pace in January, yet now sit three points off the top after a sharp turnaround.
O’Neill has restored belief and brought the team back into contention, but that shift has created a different kind of pressure. Expectation replaces doubt, and every moment carries more weight.
They have already proven they can close the gap. What remains is proving they can handle the tension that comes with being in the race.
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