St Johnstone, founded in 1884 and based at McDiarmid Park, remain a familiar part of the Scottish top-flight landscape. In the 2026-27 Premiership they sit seventh after six matches, with seven points and plenty of the season still to run.
Their profile is modest by league standards but not insubstantial: a 31-man squad with an average age of 24, valued at around £4m by Transfermarkt. They also competed in League Cup Group F, though their league position is the cleaner measure of where they stand at this stage.
Home form has given them most of their edge. St Johnstone are averaging two goals per match at McDiarmid Park, albeit while conceding 1.7, which points to a side capable of causing bother without always controlling games. Away from home the numbers are leaner, with 0.7 scored and 1.3 conceded per match.
The recent run captures that unevenness: a 0-1 defeat to Celtic followed wins over Hibernian and Kilmarnock, a draw at Dundee, and losses to Hearts and St Mirren. Josh Fowler leads their scoring with four goals, with Kai Fotheringham, Jamie Gullan and Ruari Paton each on two.
For Celtic supporters, St Johnstone are a settled domestic opponent rather than an unknown quantity: competitive at home, less persuasive away, and currently lodged in the middle section of the Premiership table.
📈 Key stats and insights
⚔️ How they compare to Celtic
Compared with Celtic, St Johnstone are far smaller in overall firepower and defensive control — Celtic lead the table and outscore most sides while keeping tighter defensive numbers — but St Johnstone's clearest edge is a lively home attack that can cause problems in isolated games; overall Celtic have the superior balance in attack and defence and the league position to match.
