Hearts suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Motherwell, marking their fifth game without a win and fourth consecutive loss in all competitions. Motherwell opened the scoring with Paul McGinn's header midway through the first half, followed by a second goal from Stephen O'Donnell on the hour mark. Substitute Yutaro Oda managed to pull one back for Hearts, but Tom Sparrow sealed the victory for the Steelmen shortly after. The match featured four changes to the Hearts lineup, including the debut of Colombian player Andres Salazar. Despite a strong start from Hearts, they struggled to maintain momentum and were unable to capitalize on their early possession. Motherwell's key player, Tawanda Maswanhise, significantly impacted the game, creating several scoring opportunities for the hosts.