Hearts: Stephen Pressley says the title pressure is also on Celtic and Rangers

“They have done very well this season, but I think a lot of people think from the outside that Rangers or Celtic will probably get the better of them.

“That’s what a lot of people are thinking, so I’m not sure the pressure is on Hearts.

“But there will be internal pressure, pressure they will put on themselves after having a good season, and because they are in this situation, they want to go the full distance.”

Pressley’s side head to Edinburgh unbeaten in five matches after Sunday’s draw in the City derby, but are bracing for a backlash from a side who are yet to lose at Tynecastle in the Premiership this season.

“It makes it a really intense game on the weekend, but it’s a game our players should really look forward to,” he said.

“After the result last week against Kilmarnock, they will be a wounded animal. They are at home, they have the best home form in the league, and they will be determined to get back on track, so I think the only thing we need to prepare for is a very determined and aggressive Hearts team.”

“They’re very good at home so, in my opinion, it will take, in my opinion, our best performance of the season to win at Tynecastle this weekend. That’s the scale of the challenge I think this weekend is.”

Dundee sit eighth in the table after just one defeat in seven league games – having scored twice in stoppage time to salvage a point against Dundee United.

“They embrace the challenge, they embrace adversity,” Pressley added, stressing that his team will need to improve their derby performance.

“In the last five or six weeks, they have shown time and again with late goals their resilience and determination.”