Celtic aura diminished as superb Kilmarnock asphyxiate Brendan Rodgers' treble hopes

Kilmarnock's Marley Watkins scores the winner at Rugby Park to knock Celtic out of the Viaplay Cup.

The start of a new Celtic era and already the end of one.

The 1-0 Viaplay Cup loss away to a Kilmarnock who were simply fabulous in their ferociousness means that, inside three weeks of competitive football across his second spell, Brendan Rodgers has now suffered a fate he avoided for the full 30 months he was in charge first time around.

The Northern Irishman couldn’t keep hoovering up cup competitions forever, having won every one of the five he contested in Scotland in racking up seven straight honours between 2016 and 2018. No fewer than 24 cup ties negotiated for that perfect record. As a consequence, for his trophy run to end abruptly in his 25th such assignment is a mighty chastening for Rodgers and his club. The treble winners instantly dethroned, effectively, as wearers of this bejewelled crown. Another clean sweep, as he achieved back-to-back, is out of reach. And with it, without over-reacting to a solitary loss at a Rugby Park he had previously endured defeat, a certain aura.

Celtic possessed none. Their ineptness against a buzzing and bustling home side left them looking like wholly lacking lightweights. Rodgers and the club’s support will be alarmed by the fact. And they should be. The scamping and clamping from Derek McInnes’ men was outstanding, but Celtic assisted them in those tasks by failing to respond in kind. Not until they conceded what proved to be the winner from Marley Watkins in the 59th minute did they rouse from a slumber. Until then, it felt as if they were dozing on even as their opponent was shouting in their ears.

Kilmarnock's Corrie Ndaba challenges Celtic's Odin Thiago Holm. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The 64th minute introduction of Yang Hyun-jun, replacing the ineffectual Liel Abada, and Sead Haksabanovic’s 75th minute arrival for an off-colour Matt O’Riley led to Celtic exhibiting urgency as for so long had eluded them. Indeed, Haksabanovic probably should have had a penalty in the fourth minute of added time when Lewis Mayo did seem to pull the foot of the attacker away from him with his outstretched leg. But the story of the contest for Celtic wasn’t a questionable VAR call, but so many rum contributions from those in visiting colours.

It is astonishing the Kilmarnock have now been able to slap down both Celtic and Rangers on their own patch in this nascent campaign, and not coughed up a goal against either or Hearts in recent weeks. Yet, as he noted afterwards, that is down to this iteration of Kilmarnock now appearing every inch a Derek McInnes team. Aggression married to adeptness, with their 3-5-2 formation suffocating Celtic. To ensure inauspicious first starts for this week's arrival Gustaf Lagerbielke - injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh forcing him to form an instant partnership with another recent recruit Maik Nawrocki - and Odin Thiago Holm.

It would be unfair to point the finger at either, when as much as Holm struggled with the physicality of his zipping-around opponents, it was the same story for Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda, O'Riley and Abada.

Aside from an early Kyogo Furuhasi opening, and Yang being denied by a last-ditch tackle when through on goal late on, Celtic’s creative deficiencies always left them vulnerable to one defensive slip. That duly arrived just before the hour mark when - with Greg Taylor off receiving treatment - Maeda was powderpuff as the superb Danny Armstrong faced him up and nipped beyond him to flash a low ball across the face of goal. No Celtic player reacted, but Watkins burst to life to arrive from deep and apply a one-touch finish, a VAR check confirming he was just onside. It was the day for both teams in a nutshell.