Celtic continued their 100% start to the season as the champions and Hearts experienced contrasting fortunes with VAR.

The visitors had a first-half penalty award overturned after Lawrence Shankland’s header came off Liam Scales’ arm.

And, after the break, Nicolas Kuhn’s cross hit James Penrice’s hand and the review resulted in record signing Arne Engels scoring his first Celtic goal from the spot.

Luke McCowan also opened his Celtic account with a late strike, confirming Hearts slipped a point adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

Brendan Rodgers’s side lead Aberdeen on goal difference and host Slovan Bratislava in Wednesday’s Champions League opener.

An improved performance from the visitors, who take on St Mirren next, ultimately ended in a seventh straight defeat in all competitions.

Referee Colin Steven had been quick to point to the spot after the Scales incident but a prolonged VAR check ended with Celtic restarting on a dropped ball.

Neither Steven nor his assistant initially penalised Penrice, whose hand was outstretched, and it was more disappointment for Hearts as VAR ruled in the hosts’ favour.

Engels, signed from Augsburg for a reported £11m, was given the responsibility rather than Reo Hatate and the new Belgium cap, 21, showed no signs of nerves as he rolled the ball past Craig Gordon.

Hearts’ best chance came just before the McCowan goal from the edge of the penalty area. Musa Drammeh stretched out a foot to meet fellow substitute Blair Spittal’s low cross but Kasper Schmeichel saved on his line.

And the clean sheet meant Celtic recorded five wins without conceding at the start of a season for the first time since 1906 – only the second time in their history.

Celtic take longer to get job done
Celtic, who had led by the 17th minute in all of their previous games this season, met greater resistance in Hearts than previous opponents. Still, the home side were profligate.

Kyogo Furuhashi fired wide after being sent clean through before Hatate’s deflected shot was dealt with by veteran goalkeeper Gordon.

A quick throw-in by Alistair Johnston was flicked on by Kuhn for Engels to control and shoot but the Belgian’s effort rattled Gordon’s left-hand post.

Kyogo was denied superbly by Gordon and Kuhn’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Penrice.

The converted penalty allowed Celtic the breathing space they sought and allowed Rodgers the chance to withdraw Kyogo, Hatate and Engels during the second half with Wednesday in mind.

McCowan was one of the beneficiaries and Gordon could only get a hand to his shot in off the post.

And Adam Idah thought he had netted his first of the campaign in added time when he met a Greg Taylor cross but an offside against Luis Palma earlier in the move kept the score at 2-0.

Grittier Hearts ultimately come up short
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has been criticised this season for flitting between formations but, tactically, he made the right calls for the trip to Glasgow.

The 3-5-2 formation pitched Shankland and Kenneth Vargas, later replaced by Drammeh, as the attacking outlets and they battled hard to get their team up the park.

They had to make the most of set pieces and from one, Shankland’s header was kept out by Schmeichel.

A long-range effort by Shankland effort had the keeper diving but it always looked like a comfortable save for the Dane.

But the Drammeh chance could have put a completely different complexion on the game and their start to the season.

A trip to Paisley next Saturday, while other clubs are on League Cup duty, at least gives Hearts the chance to make up some ground.

Crystal Palace rescued a dramatic point against Leicester City at Selhurst Park, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stoppage-time penalty cancelling out Leicester’s two-goal advantage.

The encounter showcased the resilience of Roy Hodgson’s side and highlighted the ongoing struggles of both teams in the Premier League.

The match began with Leicester City asserting their authority, and Jamie Vardy was quick to capitalise on Palace’s defensive lapses. Midway through the first half, Vardy pounced on a pass from Wilfred Ndidi, rounding Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson before slotting the ball into an empty net. This early goal set the tone for Leicester’s first-half performance, as they displayed efficient attacking play and solid defensive organisation.

Just as it seemed Leicester were taking control, Palace’s defensive frailties were exposed again shortly after the break. Within 23 seconds of the restart, Ndidi seized on a misjudged clearance from Palace debutant Maxence Lacroix. He set up Stephy Mavididi, who made no mistake in finding the net with a powerful shot from close range. This second goal appeared to put Leicester in a commanding position, and they looked set to secure their first victory of the season.

Despite being two goals down, Crystal Palace showed commendable resolve. The home side’s pressure eventually bore fruit when Mateta scored from a close-range finish following Tyrick Mitchell’s low cross. This goal, initially subject to a VAR review, was confirmed as legitimate, reigniting Palace’s hopes of salvaging something from the match.

As time ticked away, Palace’s efforts seemed in vain until the crucial moment arrived. In the dying seconds of the match, Conor Coady’s foul on Ismaila Sarr inside the penalty area presented Mateta with a golden opportunity. The French striker remained composed under pressure, calmly rolling the ball past Leicester’s goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, to level the score at 2-2.

The draw leaves both Crystal Palace and Leicester City still searching for their first win of the season. However, it is Palace who will take greater satisfaction from this result. Avoiding a third Premier League defeat and securing a point in such dramatic fashion provides a significant morale boost for Hodgson’s side.

For Leicester, the inability to hold onto their lead will be a source of frustration. Although they displayed moments of quality, their failure to close out the game underscores ongoing challenges. With both teams needing to improve their fortunes, the season ahead will be crucial in determining their respective standings.

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Manchester City star Erling Haaland continued his prolific start to the new season by breaking a Premier League record with a goal against Brentford.

Haaland scored twice for City in the first half of their game against Brentford to continue his blistering start to the new season.

The Norwegian scored two goals in quick succession to give City a 2-1 lead going into half-time after they had conceded inside 22 seconds. The goals proved additionally poignant for Haaland after he dealt with the death of a close friend in midweek.

Haaland has scored all but two of City’s Premier League goals this season as Pep Guardiola’s side look to continue their perfect start to the new season.

Rooney, meanwhile scored 27 times in the 2011-12 season when he set the previous record, which was his most prolific campaign of his career.

This is Haaland’s strongest start to any of his three seasons at City as he needed nine Premier League games to score his ninth goal last year.

In his debut campaign, Haaland took just five games to get his ninth goal but he has achieved the feat at a faster rate this time around. The 24-year-old has now netted more Premier League goals than Eric Cantona and Luis Suarez, with his 71st strike coming in his 70th appearance.

City will be hoping Haaland can carry his Premier League form into their match against Inter in the Champions League next week. Guardiola’s men will then face a potential early title clash with Arsenal next week, with the Gunners desperate to keep Haaland quiet despite a number of injuries to some key players.