Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton has warned his side that they must improve if they want to win the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Hoops saw their lead at the top of the standings reduced to just one point this weekend, as their 2-1 home defeat to Motherwell coincided with nearest rivals Aberdeen beating Kilmarnock 4-0.

The Bhoys do have a game in hand over the Dons but have won only two of their last six matches in all competitions, while Derek McInnes’ side have won four league matches in a row.

Israel international Bitton knows there are no guarantees that Ronny Deila’s side will successfully defend the crown they have won for the last four seasons, and he is adamant their performances must improve sooner rather than later.

He said: “No-one can make promises about winning the league. If we are going to keep playing like that, it will be difficult for us.”

The 24-year-old points to English champions Chelsea, currently languishing in 15th position in the Premier League standings, as a prime example as to why the Celts cannot take winning any competition for granted.

He continued: “I can give you Chelsea as an example. They have spent so much money and nothing is guaranteed. They have had the best manager in the world, the best players in the world and they are not doing well.”

Celtic are still the strong favourites at 1.02 to retain their Scottish Premiership crown come the end of the season, while Aberdeen are on offer at 15.00 to clinch their first league championship since 1985.