St Johnstone travel to face Dundee at Dens Park this week, with both Premiership sides aiming to recover from 2-1 defeats. The Perth side's recent form reads DLLW, leaving them eighth in the table with four points from four matches.
Dundee fell at home to Hibernian on 30 August, with Martin Boyle and Callum Wright scoring either side of half-time before Joe Westley's late consolation. St Johnstone's loss came a day earlier against Hearts, where they fought back from a two-goal deficit before ultimately succumbing. The Saints have scored six goals this season but conceded seven, leaving them with a minus-one goal difference.
Dundee's 1-2 defeat to Hibernian saw them create chances worth 1.50 expected goals (xG), with Westley's powerful header accounting for an xG of 0.87. Defensively, they allowed Hibs an xG of 2.70 and a high 24.6 passes per defensive action. Their aerial strength was a bright spot, winning 19 of 30 duels; Ryan Astley won all six of his contests and Owen Bevan won six of seven.
St Johnstone's 1-2 loss to Hearts featured a spirited second-half response. James Wilson headed Hearts ahead inside ten minutes (xG 0.29) before an Enes Alić own goal doubled the lead. Ruari Paton pulled one back three minutes after the restart with a left-footed strike (xG 0.22). The Saints' attacking output rose from 0.30 to 0.42 attacks per minute after the break, outperforming Hearts' 0.36 in that period. Their overall xG was 1.20 against Hearts' 1.87.
Aerial battles were a clear area for improvement from the Hearts match. The team won only eight of 27 aerial duels, with defender Zach Mitchell beaten in all three of his contests. In contrast, the midfield pairing of Jason Holt and Cheick Diabaté provided a solid base, completing over 90 accurate passes between them. The team's overall duel success was better, winning 60 of 135 ground battles.
Leaving aside last season's campaign, the current focus is on climbing from eighth place. They sit eight points behind early leaders Celtic. Fans can track the team's progress in the standings throughout the season.
The data from both defeats shows these were close games decided by fine margins. For St Johnstone, Josh Fowler missed a first-half headed chance against Hearts rated at 0.25 xG. Dundee, despite having just 41% possession against Hibs, remained competitive in the air. Both sides will feel they have the foundation to turn performances into results. The match at Dens Park offers that immediate opportunity for St Johnstone to start building momentum before the international break. Their next home game is against ninth-placed Dundee United on 17 October.
