Scottish Premiership: Hibernian v Hearts
Venue: Easter Road, Edinburgh Date: Sunday, 27 October Time: 12:00 GMT
Coverage: Follow live on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website & app; watch highlights on Sportscene
It’s the first Edinburgh derby of the season but even Hibernian’s talisman winger Martin Boyle has declared Sunday’s meeting with Hearts as the “biggest in years” because of the two sides’ current league positions.
Hearts’ poor start to the campaign has already led to a change in management, with Steven Naismith’s success in leading the club to their largest points tally in recent years quickly forgotten and Neil Critchley brought in to lead the Tynecastle club.
The Englishman has started with two wins, but his team remain level with Hibs on five points in the bottom two positions in the Scottish Premiership.
A win for either at Easter Road would be hugely significant.
Why have the two started so badly?
For Hibs, it was a summer of change. Club legend David Gray was confirmed as the new permanent head coach, with Malky Mackay arriving as sporting director.
On the pitch, there were significant changes, too.
Goalkeeper David Marshall retired and veteran defenders Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson moved on, leaving a gap in experience.
It’s fair to say their replacements have yet to show they are capable of filling their boots. That is one of the biggest reasons why Hibs have struggled this term.
For Hearts, it’s more complicated.
Much of last season’s squad remained, with creative midfielders Blair Spittal and Yan Dhanda, in particular, looking to be excellent signings.
But it’s only in the last couple of weeks they have began to show their talents.
And the poor form of the more established players at Tynecastle has been most alarming for the Hearts fans.
A significant number of those that helped Hearts to third last season have been shadows of the players they were.
Some are into the final year of their contracts, too, which could be playing a part.
There has been an improvement in the last two weeks and the task ahead is to continue that progress.
Is Hibs boss Gray in danger of sack?
It’s so difficult to predict anything, especially at a club that has been so trigger happy in recent years.
Neil Lennon left Hibs by mutual consent in January 2019. Since then, Paul Heckingbottom, Jack Ross, Shaun Maloney, Lee Johnson and Nick Montgomery have come and gone.
Ross brought the club success in terms of reaching third place in the Premiership for the first time in 16 years bringing European football back to Easter Road.
Despite reaching the League Cup final he was sacked 10 days before the match at Hampden. That’s a decision Hibs have not really recovered from.
It seems unlikely Gray would be shown the door so early, though. The club need stability and making another change will only increase the turmoil.
Can Hearts’ Critchley build on strong start?
Critchley has had the kind of start any manager would want. Two wins – one in the league, one in Europe – and six goals along, with two clean sheets.
The 46-year-old must be wondering how Hearts are in the position they are in.
He has made subtle changes to the formation, but the victories have certainly given him some leeway with the demanding Hearts support.
Easter Road on Sunday will be hostile but, with the club now in a strong position to progress in the Conference League, a derby win will truly silence anyone who had doubts about his appointment.
What does history tell us?
The recent meetings at Easter Road do not make good reading for Hibs.
They have won just one last nine derbies in Leith – Naismith’s first game in temporary charge after Robbie Neilson was sacked.
There have been goals in the last 10 meeting, following a couple of drab 0-0 matches three season ago.
But only a fool would predict the outcome of this game, especially given the current predicaments of both teams. Even the bookmakers are struggling, with the home side just shading it in terms of favouritism.
Does that suggest a draw is the most likely outcome?