A second-half comeback with ten-man went in vain for Rangers when a late goal from James Forrest sealed all three points for Celtic in Sunday’s Old Firm derby. But the Gers were determined to shake off weekend’s misfortune and script a victory tonight against Hearts at the Ibrox.
The Jambos were having a rough patch in Premiership but came back strongly on Saturday afternoon after they sealed a win over Aberdeen despite being a goal down in early minutes. They, however, failed to show any resilience tonight and suffered a 3-0 defeat on the road.
Below are the Rangers players rated in their commanding win against Hearts.
Allan McGregor: 7.5
Denied Christophe Berra spectacularly in the first half and stopped the visitors from scripting a comeback. A well-deserved clean sheet for the Scotsman.
James Tavernier: 8.5
His howler resulted in a derby defeat, but the skipper was at his best tonight. Played his part in Defoe’s early opener, also assisted Connor Goldson with a cross to double the lead minutes later. Started the second half with the same intent and contributed to Arfield’s goal as well.
Joe Worrall: 7.5
Was composed in a central defensive role as the Englishman kept his cool throughout. He impressed with his sense of positioning and made some crucial interceptions. Played it out from the back and helped the Bears form attacking threats from the deep areas.
Connor Goldson: 8
Had moments of discomfort while defending set-pieces, but the centre-back had an impressive outing overall as he doubled the lead with a smart header around the 20th-minute mark.
Jon Flanagan: 7
Was handed a rare start tonight. Was rusty at times with his challenges and received a booking for fouling Oliver Bozanic minutes before the half-time whistle. Looked lively after the break as he kept on making overlapping runs, cut insides and one-twos from the left-hand flank.
Glen Kamara: 7.5
Made his presence known in the centre of the pitch. Tried to keep hold of the ball and build up moves from a deeper midfield slot. Made some ambitious box-to-box runs to create chances upfront.
Ryan Jack: 7
Was combative, won the ball back a number of times and kept on linking up with Davis and Kamra to create space to move forward. Got replaced by Ross McCrorie around the hour mark.
Steven Davis: 7
The veteran Northern Irishman controlled the pace and tempo while operating in a free role. Was a bit slow but that did not stop him from reading the game, understanding the opponents’ approach and making his moves accordingly.
Scott Arfield: 8
Was deployed in a free role and did justice to it by finding the right pass on most occasions. Played his part in the build-up of Defoe’s opener by linking up with Tavernier down the right. Marked his name on the scoresheet with a close-range effort a couple of minutes after the break. Made his way for Eros Grezda midway through the second half.
Ryan Kent: 7
Was stupendous against Celtic but failed to make a similar impact tonight. Was lively and came close on a few occasions to finding the net, but the Liverpool-loanee was not accurate with his execution.
Jermain Defoe: 8
Spearheaded the Rangers’ attack due to the suspension of Alfredo Morelos. An early goal was ruled out due to offside, but the veteran Three Lions international broke the deadlock minutes later and showcased his instinct and experience inside the box. Was replaced by Kyle Lafferty late in the game.
Substitutes
Ross McCrorie: 6.5
Injected fresh legs and made things stable for the hosts in the middle of the park.
Eros Grezda: 6.5
Almost had an immediate impact as his header bounced off the post seconds after being introduced.
Kyle Lafferty: 6
Enjoyed a few minutes of football against his ex-employers.
