Celtic are starting games so well this season that the latter stages of matches are little more than high-intensity training exercises.
This was the fourth time this season that Brendan Rodgers’ side have scored twice in the first half and the third consecutive game in which they have scored in the first five minutes.
Like Kilmarnock and Hibernian, St Mirren saw their hopes of taking something from the champions evaporate before they even knew what had happened to them.
To the Celtic manager’s credit, with Matt O’Riley on the verge of signing a contract with Brighton, Manchester City’s interest in Kyogo Furuhashi and a host of big-name signings yet to materialise, there has been enough to distract him at the start of this campaign. Yet his side have not missed a beat.
This display was as polished as the previous ones. For the uninitiated, it might suggest that Rodgers’ side have the quality and depth to challenge on all fronts this season.
Celtic continued their dominant start to the new Scottish Premiership season by securing their third consecutive win with a 3-0 victory at St Mirren.
Callum McGregor put the visitors ahead with a powerful left-footed shot after just three minutes.
Reo Hatate was named Man of the Match, scoring the second in the 33rd minute with his left boot.
But while the team look very capable of retaining their title even at this early stage, making an impact in the Champions League is a completely different matter. Unless several quality signings arrive before Friday, the fear is that a repeat of the story we already know will be possible.
In the present, however, Rodgers would have been delighted by where his side’s goals at Paisley came from.
O’Riley scored 19 goals last season, which is undoubtedly a huge loss.
But when Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate step up like they did here, solutions are within reach.
With the Japanese doubling Celtic’s lead just after the half-hour, Rodgers’ men were looking good for the victory that took them back to the top of the Premier League by the time they were slipping into the orange of half-time.
St Mirren at least made life difficult for the visitors in the second half, but never looked like they could recover. The game was decided when Alistair Johnston scored the third from close range 19 minutes from time.
Paisley’s men were certainly unlucky to come up against a Celtic side who have been on a roll from the start of this season.
That said, Stephen Robinson will be dismayed by how little resistance his players showed until it was too late. A fourth consecutive defeat was accepted far too meekly.
Life without O’Riley began for Celtic amid swirling winds and relentless rain.
O’Riley’s impending move to Brighton has opened the door for Paulo Bernardo to make his first start since securing a permanent return from Benfica.
Adam Idah also made his first start since completing his transfer from Norwich at the expense of Furuhashi.
Brendan Rodgers is said to have been delighted with where his side’s goals came from in Paisley.
Alistair Johnston rounded off the scoring with his third and final goal in the 71st minute.
Robinson welcomed back Mark O’Hara, the captain who had been sidelined since the European game against Valur. Killian Phillips started for the first time since his loan move from Crystal Palace.
It was safe to assume St Mirren had done their homework on the sources of Celtic’s threats, but there was little evidence of that as they fell behind after three minutes.
For Nicolas Kuhn at Easter Road a couple of weeks ago, read James Forrest here. The winger moved and drifted down the right before identifying McGregor as his best option in the middle.
Just as he had done in Leith, the captain needed a touch to steady himself before releasing the ball. This time, the ball slid across the turf and past Ellery Balcombe on the left. For Celtic, it was the perfect start to a potentially tricky afternoon.
Rodgers’ players found their rhythm straight away. Alex Gogic’s clumsy counter-attack earned him a booking for bringing down Daizen Maeda. The Cypriot midfielder had to walk a tightrope until he was replaced by Roland Idowu at the interval.
Celtic never relinquished control of the game. With McGregor, Bernardo and Hatate constantly moving into space, taking the ball and passing it, St Mirren struggled to make any appreciable impact. The game might as well have been over by the interval.
Saints were grateful to Balcombe for keeping them afloat with a double save to deny Hatate and then Idah.
This was the fourth time this season that Brendan Rodgers’ side have scored twice in the first half.
Celtic are now two points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Bernardo unleashes a powerful shot that is deflected and, after a mistake by Jonah Ayunga, Idah nails the ball into the goalkeeper’s legs.
The only minor complaint Rodgers might have had was that his team’s dominance had not translated into more goals. That changed just after the half-hour mark.
Johnston’s deep cross put a lot of strain on Maeda. The winger stretched his neck to keep things alive with a header that fell to Hatate.
What a finish from 16 yards! A controlled left-footed effort that cut the ball and sent it like an arrow towards the inside of the far post. Balcombe could do nothing as the ball went into his net via the post. It already looked like the Paisley men had limited the damage.
Maeda may have fallen to the ground after being hit by Shaun Rooney, but he stayed up to work with Balcombe again.
The Saints were not creative. Their best chance came when Cameron Carter-Vickers tried to win the ball he didn’t need, but Liam Scales was alert to ensure Jonah Ayunga didn’t turn in a dangerous cross.
The flow of traffic continued towards Balcombe’s goal after the interval.
Richard Taylor, the Saints’ best player by far, made an excellent sliding block to prevent Forrest from working towards the goalkeeper.
Kasper Schmeichel eventually had to intervene at the other end of the field, although he was always right behind Jaden Brown’s shot.
Only some impressive last-gasp defending ensured the score remained just two until the 71st minute.
Alex Iacovitti risked his life to prevent Nicolas Kuhn’s fresh legs from reaching the goal after a trademark blistering run.
Johnston then sent Furuhashi on his way with a superb pass. The striker did all he could. Balcombe made an outstanding save with his legs.
Johnston was clearly looking to score a rare goal. Taylor’s heroic block denied him early in the second half, but he would not be denied for long.
The win was Celtic’s third in the league this season. They host Rangers at the Old Firm next week
It was a good day for Rodgers all round. With the points secured, he was able to protect some of his mainstays ahead of the first derby game.
Kuhn’s advance into the box prompted a group of players in black and white shirts to try to corral him. He nevertheless found Johnston, who fired high but without missing a beat.
It was a good day for Rodgers all round. With the points secured, he was able to protect some of his mainstays ahead of the first derby of the season next Sunday.
Odin Holm, who became a forgotten man last year, got some much-needed minutes, while Francis Turley, an 18-year-old central midfielder from Northern Ireland, made his competitive debut.