Celtic obliterated Hearts with a thumping 7-1 win at Parkhead as the champions moved four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership

Celtic demolished Hearts with an emphatic 7-1 victory at Parkhead, extending their lead at the summit to four points.

The dominant Bhoys swept aside the Jambos in a remarkable first-half onslaught, racing to an extraordinary 5-1 advantage before half-time.

Kieran Tierney got the scoring underway before Benjamin Nygren made it two within 10 minutes.

Returning talent Callum Osmand then struck twice on his maiden senior appearance as the Edinburgh side collapsed spectacularly.

Laurent Mendy momentarily raised the visitors' hopes with a quality strike, but Jamie McCart's own goal just before the break compounded their woes, reports the Daily Record.

Camilo Duran and Nygren added further punishment after the restart as Martin O'Neill's table-toppers delivered their finest display of the campaign to date.

Here, we assess Celtic's Magnificent Seven stars.

Viljami Sinisalo - 7

The Finnish keeper has struggled for shut-outs this term, though he was powerless to prevent Hearts' consolation. With the Edinburgh outfit four goals down, Laurent Mendy fired a powerful effort into the net from 16 yards to momentarily give the away side reason to cheer.

The Jambos actually managed more attempts than Celtic (20), though just five troubled the goalkeeper.

Colby Donovan - 8 It's a cliche, but the 20-year-old really does look like the type who would tackle his granny. The young full-back produced another impressive display, combining well with Haissem Hassan down the right.

Threw himself in front of a couple of shots and crosses and continues to grow in confidence and stature with every outing.

Dane Murray - 7

The towering defender endured a torrid time during the week in Lisbon, yet Martin O'Neill kept faith with him. Murray was instrumental in Celtic's second goal, flicking the ball over his shoulder during a goalmouth melee from a corner, allowing Nygren to tap in from close range.

Looking far more assured at the back, he also drew appreciative applause from the home faithful for crucial last-ditch challenges. A much-needed confidence boost following a testing European encounter.

Liam Scales - 7

Experienced a heart-stopping moment when a poorly weighted backpass went past Sinisalo and nearly rolled into his own goal. However, he swiftly redeemed himself by nodding a header into Tierney's path for the opening goal.

With Celtic dominating possession throughout, the Irishman faced minimal defensive duties.

Kieran Tierney - 9

An unexpected goal-scorer from a set piece as the left-back rose highest to nod home Baur's corner from approximately two yards. The rampaging full-back was at his imperious best throughout the match and drove forward to create Duran's strike for Celtic's sixth shortly after half-time.

A powerful demonstration of just how lethal he can be when in peak form.

Callum McGregor - 7

The captain had a relatively comfortable afternoon as Celtic dominated proceedings in the opening 45 minutes. Displaying control and composure on the ball, he capitalised on Hearts' sloppy distribution to maintain the champions' attacking momentum.

His growing partnership with creative midfielder Baur appears to be flourishing, with the experienced Hoops player orchestrating play from the centre of the park.

Mika Baur - 9

Shook off a dead leg sustained on Thursday to feature against the Jambos. His inclusion proved crucial.

The Germany international was directly involved in not one, not two but THREE goals. His pinpoint corner kick delivery found Tierney, who headed home from close range, before another threatening set-piece resulted in Benjamin Nygren extending the lead to 2-0.

Baur then weaved his way into the penalty area before chipping the ball over Reus, with McCart inadvertently completing the own goal. A constant creative threat.

Benjamin Nygren - 8

The Super Swede initiated Celtic's second goal with a cushioned volley from 10 yards following Baur's corner, which caused chaos in the Hearts backline. His strike deflected off Calvin Miller, though that mattered little to him.

Nygren nearly added another earlier on, but was thwarted by Reus' stretched leg. He eventually secured his brace late on, latching onto substitute Kasper Hogh's through ball and chipping it over the goalkeeper.

Haissem Hassan - 7

The Egyptian winger gave Stephen Kingsley a difficult afternoon down the right flank, exploiting his explosive speed to consistently breach the defence. He came agonisingly close to finding the net when his strike rattled the far upright, before showing excellent awareness to reach the byline and cut the ball back for Nygren, only for Reus to make the save.

A persistent threat throughout, though the winger will be eager to break his 12-match drought for his maiden Celtic goal. Improving his final delivery would elevate his performances significantly.

Camilo Duran - 9

The Colombian playmaker appears far more comfortable operating centrally and delivered an outstanding performance, providing two assists before adding his name to the scoresheet. He capitalised on a careless Sabri Guendouz pass to release Osmand for Celtic's third, before showing sharp reactions when his own attempt bounced back off Reus, lifting the ball over the prone goalkeeper.

Osmand was left with the easiest of headers into an unguarded net. Duran reserved his own strike for the second period, drifting away from his marker's attention before steering home a composed first-time effort.

A brilliant all-round showing from the newly-minted father-of-two.

Callum Osmand - 9

What an occasion to celebrate your maiden senior outing. The former Fulham youngster netted a magnificent brace during a dominant opening 45 minutes, seizing his opportunity after a period out of action.

Osmand was set up by Duran to slot home the third following a disastrous Hearts mistake, before ghosting in at the far post to nod in his colleague's crafty chip for number four. Given his track record in this fixture after last term's championship-securing heroics, another pivotal contribution seemed almost written in the stars.

Withdrawn at the interval before he could pursue his treble, though O'Neill was mindful of carefully managing his game time post-injury.

Subs:.

Jota (Osmand, 45) - 5.

The returning Portuguese favourite received a thunderous Paradise reception at the break. Despite being sidelined for 18 months, he showed no hesitation in physical battles and earned the match's opening yellow card for a robust tackle.

Set the supporters alight with exceptional skill on the ball.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (McGregor, 60) - 3.

Powered an effort over the crossbar within minutes of coming on.

Landon Emenalo (Tierney, 60) - 3.

The Chelsea loanee was afforded the final 30 minutes as he finally made his bow.

Kasper Hogh (Duran, 60) - 4.

The towering striker must have sensed an opportunity to open his account following the first-half demolition. While that eluded him, the Danish forward did assist fellow Scandinavian Nygren to grab Celtic's seventh.

James Forrest (Hassan, 70) - 2.

Brought on for the closing 20 minutes and attempted to create opportunities with several driving runs.

Unused subs: Sam Johnstone, Auston Trusty, Oliver Sorensen, Shim Mheuka.