The interim Celtic manager has had the Midas Touch during both of his spells in charge this season and his team once again found a way to win when not playing their best stuff.

The veteran manager is still yet to taste defeat in the league in either of his interim spells this season and his decision to introduce Oxlade-Chamberlain – signed on a free at the weekend – was a masterstroke.

Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Tomas Cvancara all spurned gilt-edged chances in a dominant opening burst that could have had Celtic four or five goals to the good.

As it was, only Saracchi’s powerful strike through a crowd of bodies found the back of Prior’s net and that profligacy appeared to be costly when Hatate wiped out Muirhead and the visiting striker sat Kasper Schmeichel down to equalise.

There was a rushed nature to Celtic’s attack as time ticked away, but Oxlade-Chamberlain showed the requisite composure and quality with the type of finish that earned him major honours with Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as 35 international caps.

That goal-scoring touch could be vital as Celtic try to chase down Hearts.

For Livingston, this was a hammer blow in their seemingly doomed bid to stay in the top flight.

With second-bottom Kilmarnock beating St Mirren 3-2, Bartley’s team are now nine points adrift despite a monumental defensive effort.

Prior made nine saves in total, while Ryan McGowan, Danny Wilson, Daniel Finlayson and Brooklyn Kabongolo made 40 clearances between them as cross after cross was repelled.

Four of their 11 points were earned in the first two games of the league season and Bartley has a monumental task on his hands just to find another win, let alone climb the table.

They were adamant they should have had a penalty with the game’s final act as a loose ball in the Celtic box bounced up onto Hatate’s arm, but referee Calum Scott blew for full-time soon after and there was no VAR intervention.