Red-hot Rangers emerge from Premiership cold storage with Todd Cantwell scorcher to blast past Hibs - 3 talking points

Red-hot Rangers emerged from Premiership cold storage to get a 3-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road that could see them really turn the heat up on leaders Celtic as they cut the gap to five points at the top of the table.

Philippe Clement’s dominant Light Blues side picked up three points with minimum fuss in a busy start to 2024. The trip to the capital was the first of two games in hand over their rivals and Ridvan Yilmaz and Todd Cantwell, who went off at half time with what looked like an injury, struck in the first half with substitute Cyriel Dessers netting a third as Gers follwed up the weekend Scottish Cup win over Dumbarton with another victory to start the new year.

Hibs were the first threaten after Elie Youan used his electric pace in a rapid counter attack from the home side but Jack Butland got down to make a smart save at his near post to deny the Frenchman a quickfire opener. At the other end Fabio Silva, on his first start for the Light Blues, fired just the wrong side of the post from Rabbi Matondo’s cross. But the deadlock was broken right on the half hour mark and it came from an unlikely source as Yilmaz noted only his second goal for the club. It was a brilliant finish from the Turkish full back but it was all about the pass from John Lundstram with an exquisite lofted ball for the ex Besiktas man who then shot beyond David Marshall.

It was just what the visitors needed and probably just deserved on the balance of play but they still needed Butland to again show his quality at the other end as the Englishman denied Jair Tavares. Youan then headed just wide from Joe Newell’s free kick as they looked for the leveller before Marshall denied James Tavernier right on half time, albeit the flag had gone up