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# Chris Sutton Left Speechless on Sky Sports After Daizen Maeda’s Heroics Seals Celtic’s Stunning Title Triumph Over Hearts
**The Japanese forward’s decisive 87th-minute goal in the Scottish Premiership title decider has drawn the most glowing praise from Celtic’s greatest critic-turned-defender.**
There are moments in football that stop a television studio cold. On Saturday, May 16, 2026, inside a Celtic Park fortress shaking with noise and nerves, Daizen Maeda delivered one of those moments — and Chris Sutton, rarely lost for words on Sky Sports, could barely contain himself.
Celtic won the Scottish Premiership title in dramatic style with two late goals to beat rivals Hearts 3-1, with Maeda striking a crucial goal in the 87th minute at Celtic Park to put Celtic on course for the win they needed to be crowned champions for the fifth year in a row. [KDH News](https://kdhnews.com/sports/soccer/heartbreak-for-hearts-as-celtic-crowned-scottish-premiership-champion/article_bcc7f3b6-6019-5437-8790-8df26471b493.html)
For much of the afternoon, it had looked like Celtic’s extraordinary late-season fight-back was about to end in heartbreak. Lawrence Shankland had headed Hearts into the lead, [KDH News](https://kdhnews.com/sports/soccer/heartbreak-for-hearts-as-celtic-crowned-scottish-premiership-champion/article_bcc7f3b6-6019-5437-8790-8df26471b493.html) and the visiting side’s defensive organisation was threatening to finally end Celtic’s reign at the top of Scottish football. The atmosphere inside Celtic Park turned tense. Then Maeda changed everything.
The Japanese winger, who had already announced himself as one of this season’s most electrifying performers, drove forward with relentless energy in the closing stages. His clinical 87th-minute finish not only equalised the tie but tore the heart out of a Hearts side who had believed — quite reasonably — that the title was finally theirs. Arne Engels then converted from the penalty spot, before Callum Osmand ran clean through to score Celtic’s third and seal the championship. [KDH News](https://kdhnews.com/sports/soccer/heartbreak-for-hearts-as-celtic-crowned-scottish-premiership-champion/article_bcc7f3b6-6019-5437-8790-8df26471b493.html)
In the Sky Sports studio, Sutton’s reaction was instant and unequivocal. The former Celtic striker has never been shy about criticising the club when performances warranted it. Only weeks earlier he had described Celtic as a team that didn’t “look ready” when the pressure was on. But on this occasion, Sutton set aside all hesitation, delivering what many are calling the most passionate and honest verdict he has produced all season.
It was a verdict born from a wider context that made it even more remarkable. Maeda had already turned heads with a spectacular overhead kick against Rangers just days earlier, a goal that Sutton described as one of the greatest he had seen, going on to praise Martin O’Neill for getting Celtic to that stage of the season, calling it remarkable.
Saturday’s performance took that admiration to another level entirely.
Sutton pinpointed Maeda’s contribution as a key reason behind Celtic’s title success, [celticnewsnow] a sentiment that resonated widely in the immediate aftermath of Celtic’s championship celebrations. This was no ordinary player delivering in an ordinary moment. This was a footballer rising to the biggest stage of the Scottish season and producing something genuinely special.
The context surrounding Celtic’s title win made Maeda’s performance all the more extraordinary. Seven consecutive wins across all competitions had dragged the Hoops back into the title race when it had looked completely beyond them. [Celts Are Here] Martin O’Neill had instilled a spirit and resilience that very few expected when he returned to the club for a second time as manager. [Celts Are Here]
Sutton, to his credit, acknowledged it all. No spin. No hedging. Just an honest reckoning with a player and a team that had refused to be written off — and in Daizen Maeda, found the man to prove it.
*Celtic are Scottish Premiership champions for the fifth consecutive season. The title was confirmed on May 16, 2026.*