Chris Sutton has made an ‘impressive’ claim about Celtic.

Celtic produced another statement performance at the weekend as they swept aside Dundee United 4-0, prompting former Hoops striker Chris Sutton to praise what he saw from Martin O’Neill’s side.

Sutton, who enjoyed a successful spell in Glasgow during his playing career, watched on as Celtic eventually cruised to a convincing victory at Tannadice. Although the final score suggested a one-sided contest, Dundee United did create several opportunities and struck the woodwork on multiple occasions.

3rd May 2026; Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Ex Celtic player Chris Sutton and Celtic coach Stephen McManus share a joke after the match

Despite those chances, Celtic’s quality in the final third ultimately proved decisive. The reigning Scottish champions were ruthless when opportunities came their way and deserved to leave Tannadice with all four goals.

Sutton was clearly impressed by the performance and believes Celtic are showing encouraging signs at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Celtic continue to build momentum

The 4-0 victory represents another positive result for O’Neill, particularly given the importance of the matches that lie ahead.

Celtic now face Austrian side LASK in a crucial Champions League qualifying play-off, with the first leg taking place at Celtic Park on Wednesday before the return fixture in Austria the following week.

Those two matches could have a huge influence on the direction of Celtic’s season.

Champions League qualification would bring significant financial rewards and prestige, while progressing to the group stage would also provide O’Neill with an opportunity to test his developing squad against some of Europe’s strongest clubs.

The performance against Dundee United will therefore have given the manager plenty of encouragement.

15th August 2026; Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Cup Football, Dundee United versus Celtic; Auston Trusty of Celtic heads the ball and scores in the 22nd minute to make it 1-0

There were some defensive concerns, with United hitting the post and crossbar several times, but Celtic’s attacking display was arguably the biggest positive.

Sutton impressed by Celtic’s performance

Sutton took to X to react to his former club’s impressive victory.

The result was particularly notable because Dundee United defeated Celtic twice at Tannadice last season. This time, however, there was little doubt about which team was superior.

Celtic’s four-goal margin demonstrated how much confidence and momentum O’Neill’s players have developed during the early stages of the new campaign.

The fact they managed such a comprehensive victory without Arne Engels makes the result even more interesting.

The Belgian midfielder was absent as he prepares to complete his move to West Ham United, with the transfer expected to deprive Celtic of one of their key midfielders.

Nevertheless, Celtic were still able to dominate large parts of the match and produce four goals.

That depth could prove extremely important during the coming weeks.

Camilo Durán continues to impress

One of the standout performers was new signing Camilo Durán.

The Colombian forward operated on the right side despite that not being his natural position, but he still demonstrated the qualities that convinced Celtic to bring him to Glasgow.

Durán worked tirelessly without possession and showed a willingness to press Dundee United’s defenders.

His reward came with a well-taken goal that demonstrated his composure in front of goal.

His contribution was not limited to his finishing.

After Kasper Høgh was withdrawn, Durán moved into a more central role and continued to work relentlessly for the team.

That ability to adapt could become an important weapon for O’Neill.

With Celtic now possessing several attacking options, players who can operate in multiple positions could prove particularly valuable during a campaign involving domestic football and European competition.

Durán appears to be settling into life at Celtic quickly.

Nygren stealing the spotlight

Benjamin Nygren was another player who caught the eye during the victory.

The Swedish attacker once again played a central role in Celtic’s attacking threat, contributing two assists before adding a spectacular goal of his own.

Nygren’s start to the campaign has been especially impressive considering he had a relatively short pre-season after representing Sweden at the World Cup.

Despite not having the same preparation period as many of his teammates, he has looked sharp and confident.

His goal against Dundee United was particularly memorable, with the quality of the finish underlining his growing influence.

Nygren appears to have quickly established himself as one of the key creative players within O’Neill’s attacking system.

If he can maintain this level of form, Celtic supporters will have plenty to be excited about.

New arrivals provide further encouragement

The weekend also gave Celtic supporters an opportunity to see more of their recent additions.

Mika Baur made his Celtic debut in midfield, while Haissem Hassan was introduced from the bench.

Both players have arrived as part of O’Neill’s efforts to strengthen the squad, and their involvement provides another indication of the options now available to the manager.

The additions are particularly important given Celtic’s demanding schedule.

The club must compete domestically while also attempting to secure Champions League football, meaning O’Neill will need to rotate his squad and maintain high standards across several competitions.

Having more quality available from the bench should make that task easier.

Celtic still have room to improve

15th August 2026; Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Cup Football, Dundee United versus Celtic; Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates after he shoots and scores in the 62nd minute to make it 4-0

Despite the emphatic scoreline, O’Neill will not have been completely satisfied with everything he saw.

Dundee United managed to create several opportunities and hit the woodwork multiple times.

Against LASK, those defensive lapses could prove far more costly.

Celtic cannot afford to allow a European opponent the same amount of space and chances, particularly with Champions League qualification at stake.

O’Neill will therefore have work to do before Wednesday’s first leg.

However, the positives considerably outweigh the negatives.

Celtic scored four goals, controlled large portions of the contest and demonstrated the attacking quality required to punish their opponents.

They also achieved the result without Engels, who is on the verge of completing his move away from the club.

LASK represents the next major challenge

Celtic are still not operating at full strength, but the early signs under O’Neill are highly encouraging.

The manager has assembled an attack capable of causing serious problems, while the arrival of players such as Baur and Hassan has increased competition throughout the squad.

Durán is adapting quickly, Nygren is in outstanding form and Celtic are finding ways to win convincingly even when important players are unavailable.

The LASK double-header will provide a far more demanding examination.

Celtic now have the opportunity to turn their impressive domestic start into Champions League qualification.

If they can carry the confidence and attacking sharpness displayed against Dundee United into Wednesday’s match, O’Neill’s side will have every reason to believe they can take another major step forward.