Heart of Midlothian maintained their position near the top of the Scottish Premiership following the latest Edinburgh derby against Hibernian on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The match at Easter Road was captured in a licensable image provided by Action Images via Reuters Connect.
Steven Naismith's side currently occupies third place in the Premiership table. They have collected nine points from their opening four fixtures, recording three wins and one loss. Their recent form reads WWWL, showing a strong start to the campaign before a recent setback. The team's attacking prowess is clear, having scored ten goals while conceding just four, giving them a healthy +6 goal difference.
Despite their strong start, Heart of Midlothian find themselves three points adrift of the league leaders, Celtic. This early gap shows the competitive nature of the Scottish top flight this season. Every point dropped against rivals, especially in high-pressure fixtures like the Edinburgh derby, can have significant implications for the championship chase. The team's goal difference could become important as the season progresses.
The derby atmosphere at Hibernian's home ground was documented by photographer Lee Smith. His image, tagged with the slug SOCCER-SCOTLAND-HIB-HEA, shows the pre-match build-up outside the famous old stadium. Brian Johnson, owner of a football programme shop situated near the ground, was among those present on the day. The high-resolution picture measures 5785 by 3778 pixels and has a file size of 4.7MB, making it suitable for professional media use.
With the derby now behind them, the focus shifts to maintaining their positive league position. The squad, which fans can view on the club's squad page, will look to bounce back from their sole defeat. Their next challenge is to convert their strong goal-scoring form into consistent results against the league's other contenders. The team's defensive record, conceding only four times, is a solid foundation to build upon for the coming fixtures schedule. Their next league match is against Aberdeen at Tynecastle Park on September 13.
