Assuming they survive the freezing temperatures, another packed Sunday of six Scottish Premiership games is in store as the festive fixtures come thick and fast.
Rangers’ Old Firm derby win over Celtic suggests the title race might not be the formality it had appeared, while Dundee United are now going head-to-head with Aberdeen for third spot and St Johnstone are in danger of becoming detached at the bottom.
Here are some key points of interest in Sunday’s games.
Game of day – Hibernian v Rangers (12:00 GMT)
Hibernian head coach David Gray and Rangers counterpart Philippe Clement go into Sunday’s early kick-off looking to continue the momentum that has eased some of the pressure that was mounting over their respective futures.
Thursday’s 1-1 draw away to bottom side St Johnstone was not particularly impressive, but it came on the back of four straight wins that have lifted Hibs off the foot of the table, into seventh place and back in the hunt for European qualification.
Second-top Rangers, meanwhile, arrive at Easter Road buoyed by a stunning 3-0 derby win over leaders Celtic.
Considering the reigning champions are still 11 points clear of their city rivals, it has not exactly reignited a title race, but at least it gave a signal that Clement’s side have more potential than the previous one win in five had suggested.
Hibs have suffered only one defeat in their latest six at home – and are unbeaten in their latest three – while Rangers have shed points on their past two games away from Ibrox.
However, the Glasgow side are unbeaten in 13 visits to Easter Road, winning eight of those – their joint-longest run against the Leith outfit.
Indeed, overall, Hibs have lost eight games in a row against Rangers since a 2-2 draw at Easter Road in August 2022 – one short of their worst ever losing streak against the Ibrox side.
That is the only time Hibs have avoided defeat in 11 meetings since their 3-1 Scottish League Cup semi-final win at Hampden in November 2021.
Rangers have conceded just one goal – and scored 13 – in the latest five meetings between the sides and their fans will be expecting their team to build on their Old Firm excellence despite Hibs’ recent revival.
Of course, with some fans and pundits blaming Clement’s rotation policy for his side’s inconsistency, much of the spotlight will be on whether the Belgian this time sticks with what appears to be a winning formula.
Player to watch – Sam Dalby (Dundee United)
Sam Dalby is the man of the moment for Dundee United.
The on-loan Wrexham striker’s 10th Premiership goal secured a thrilling, last-gasp city derby win on Thursday – a third consecutive victory that lifted Jim Goodwin’s side above Aberdeen and into third place on goal difference.
In doing so, the Englishman became the first United player to hit double figures in the top flight since Billy Mckay in 2015-16 – and he still has plenty of time to surpass the Northern Irishman’s eventual total of 12.
Dalby again stressed that he has heard nothing to suggest his parent club, currently sitting third in League One, plan to cut short his loan spell or hand him a new deal when his current one ends in the summer.
Not surprisingly, Goodwin is keen to talk with the 25-year-old about making the move permanent, but both know that other clubs will have eyes on his services the longer his scoring streak continues.
Manager in spotlight – Tony Docherty (Dundee)
Week after week, the burden of pressure seems to be passed from manager to manager in the cut throat Premiership.
This week, you could have your choice of three, with Aberdeen’s form having fallen off a cliff since their opening 13-game winning streak, and 16 unbeaten, under Jimmy Thelin – they are now without a win in nine, losing their past four, as they visit Motherwell.
Fellow newcomer Simo Valakari has watched his St Johnstone side drop to the bottom of the table after seven games of their own without a win.
Sunday’s hosts, Dundee, looked to have turned their corner with last Sunday’s 2-1 win away to St Mirren only to be brought back down to earth with their fourth defeat in five outings.
That it came in a home Dundee derby after which United moved up to third place was all the more painful for some of the Dark Blues’ support to stomach and manager Tony Docherty has been facing a fair amount of fan flak over his tactics.
From being top-six contenders, Dundee are now five points behind Motherwell, only two above Hearts in the relegation play-off place and a defeat in Perth would leave only four points between themselves and Saints.
The result against hosts who can little afford to allow another potential relegation candidate increase that gap could decide which end of the table Dundee will be battling for the rest of the season.