Oxlade-Chamberlain spares Celtic blushes
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a stoppage-time winner on his debut as Celtic earned a crucial 2-1 win over Livingston, while Rangers were held by 10-man Motherwell.
Hearts' dramatic 1-0 derby win over Hibernian a day earlier meant Martin O'Neill's Celtic had to respond at Parkhead.
Things were going well against rock-bottom Livi when Marcelo Saracchi's powerful 15th-minute opener put Celtic ahead.
The Bhoys wasted several chances, though, while Jerome Prior frustrated Celtic with some excellent saves.
It looked like the wastefulness would prove costly when Robbie Muirhead netted a 57th-minute penalty after being fouled by Reo Hatate.
But Oxlade-Chamberlain curled home brilliantly in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, to leave Celtic six points back of Hearts but with a game in hand.
Danny Rohl's Rangers side are five points off the pace after being pegged back late on in a 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park.
Nico Raskin clinically put Rangers ahead from Mohamed Diomande's through-ball in just the sixth minute, but Motherwell hit the post through Tawanda Maswanhise, and Stephen O'Donnell saw one cleared off the line.
Youssef Chermiti missed a one-on-one that would have put Rangers out of sight, while Lukas Fadinger's red card for a lunge on Mikey Moore in the 78th minute further damaged Motherwell.
But Stephen Welsh met Eythor Bjorgolffson's knock-down in the 89th minute to earn a dramatic point for the host and put a huge dent in Rangers' pursuit of Hearts.
Benjamin Nygren was uncharacteristically wasteful for Celtic. He attempted eight shots in this game, the highest total for a Celtic player in the Premiership this season, without scoring.
Rangers have scored in 22 of their 26 games, only Hearts (23) have scored goals in more matches in the Premiership this season, but their solitary strike was not enough for three points.
