Scottish Premiership
RangersRangers4AberdeenAberdeen0

Rangers 4-0 Aberdeen: Steven Gerrard's side lift 55th Scottish league trophy in record style

By Clive LindsayBBC Sport Scotland

Peerless Rangers swept aside Aberdeen to end the Scottish Premiership term unbeaten before officially lifting the Scottish title for the 55th time.

Steven Gerrard's side are the first to go unbeaten since Brendan Rodgers' Celtic in 2016-17 and also matched their city rivals' 107-year-old clean-sheet record.

Rangers' task was made easier by Joe Lewis' unfortunate early own goal, with Kemar Roofe adding further efforts either side of the break, and Jermain Defoe scoring a late fourth.

The Ibrox side lived dangerously at the back in the second half but survived with their goal intact to finish the campaign having gone 26 league games without conceding.

The 13 goals they have conceded is one fewer than Celtic allowed in the 1913-14 season.

And, having won all 19 home league games, Rangers match the feat achieved by Martin O'Neill's Celtic, who ultimately went on to win 26 consecutively between 2002 and 2004.

Rangers have now not lost to Aberdeen in eight meetings, winning all four of their encounters this season, including two 4-0 wins at Ibrox.

Having not scored in their previous four most recent visits to Ibrox and having already finished in fourth place, Stephen Glass' side started like one with little to play for and little belief that they could end Rangers' dominance.

graphic

Contrasting fortunes of rival captains handed Rangers the initiative as a James Tavernier cross struck defender Jack MacKenzie and goalkeeper Lewis contrived to divert a ball into his own net that looked to be spinning wide.

The sound of chanting fans anticipating the post-match trophy presentation continued to grow outside an empty Ibrox from a low murmur to a constant hum - interspersed with the wail of the occasional police siren - as Rangers extended their lead.

Ryan Kent forced his way past Connor McLennan's weak tackle to make it to the bye-line and his low cross into the six-yard box was flicked towards goal by Roofe, once again going in off the unfortunate MacKenzie.

A double half-time substitution by visiting manager Glass turned the tide - but without improving the scoreline.

Unmarked substitute Fraser Hornby failed to turn in a Ryan Hedges cross to the back post, Lewis Ferguson fired against the underside of the bar with an even more open goal gaping, and SPFL Premiership player of the year Allan McGregor produced a series of saves.

However, two defensive slips allowed clinical Rangers to add the gloss to an outstanding season, in which they finished 25 points clear of deposed champions Celtic. as Roofe and Defoe stroked past a hapless Lewis.

Man of the match - Kemar Roofe

Rangers' Kemar Roofe celebrates
Rangers recorded a convincing win without reaching their best and that was thanks in part to two clinical Roofe finishes

What did we learn?

Some players will go this summer, but Gerrard will no doubt think he is building the foundations of a squad that can repeat their dominance in the Premiership next season.

His side cruised to victory despite looking like they had one eye on the post-match trophy presentation. Mind you, a few scares at the back suggest that defence might be the one area where strength in depth needs improving.

Aberdeen will wonder why they did not start the first half as positively as they did the second.

While the opening 45 will have underlined to recently appointed manager Glass the work that needs done in the summer, the second will give him some signs of hope for the future - and who in his squad is up to the task.

What's next?

Rangers move into a pre-season, when Gerrard will look to consolidate their dominance of the Scottish top flight but more immediately prepare for the Champions League third qualifying round in August.

Aberdeen's Glass has a bigger rebuilding job ahead of the second qualifying round in the new European Conference League in July.

Player of the match

DefoeJermain Defoe

with an average of 8.13

Rangers

  1. Squad number9Player nameDefoe
    Average rating

    8.13

  2. Squad number1Player nameMcGregor
    Average rating

    7.71

  3. Squad number23Player nameWright
    Average rating

    7.70

  4. Squad number37Player nameArfield
    Average rating

    7.70

  5. Squad number24Player nameStewart
    Average rating

    7.69

  6. Squad number11Player nameItten
    Average rating

    7.67

  7. Squad number2Player nameTavernier
    Average rating

    7.51

  8. Squad number25Player nameRoofe
    Average rating

    7.49

  9. Squad number17Player nameAribo
    Average rating

    7.46

  10. Squad number6Player nameGoldson
    Average rating

    7.45

  11. Squad number14Player nameKent
    Average rating

    7.44

  12. Squad number7Player nameHagi
    Average rating

    7.43

  13. Squad number10Player nameDavis
    Average rating

    7.43

  14. Squad number18Player nameKamara
    Average rating

    7.35

  15. Squad number4Player nameSimpson
    Average rating

    7.25

  16. Squad number20Player nameMorelos
    Average rating

    7.23

Aberdeen

  1. Squad number11Player nameHedges
    Average rating

    5.11

  2. Squad number19Player nameFerguson
    Average rating

    5.08

  3. Squad number29Player nameMacKenzie
    Average rating

    4.89

  4. Squad number15Player nameMcGeouch
    Average rating

    4.83

  5. Squad number17Player nameHayes
    Average rating

    4.83

  6. Squad number4Player nameConsidine
    Average rating

    4.73

  7. Squad number9Player nameHendry
    Average rating

    4.69

  8. Squad number18Player nameMcLennan
    Average rating

    4.60

  9. Squad number24Player nameCampbell
    Average rating

    4.55

  10. Squad number22Player nameKamberi
    Average rating

    4.51

  11. Squad number3Player nameHoban
    Average rating

    4.49

  12. Squad number7Player nameHornby
    Average rating

    4.22

  13. Squad number44Player nameRamsey
    Average rating

    4.11

  14. Squad number10Player nameMcGinn
    Average rating

    4.10

  15. Squad number1Player nameLewis
    Average rating

    3.88

Line-ups

Rangers

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1McGregor
  • 2Tavernier
  • 6Goldson
  • 4Simpson
  • 17AriboSubstituted forIttenat 79'minutes
  • 7HagiSubstituted forArfieldat 61'minutes
  • 10DavisBooked at 85mins
  • 18Kamara
  • 25RoofeSubstituted forWrightat 69'minutes
  • 20MorelosSubstituted forDefoeat 62'minutes
  • 14KentSubstituted forStewartat 69'minutes

Substitutes

  • 9Defoe
  • 11Itten
  • 13Firth
  • 23Wright
  • 24Stewart
  • 33McLaughlin
  • 37Arfield
  • 61King

Aberdeen

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Lewis
  • 18McLennan
  • 3Hoban
  • 4Considine
  • 29MacKenzie
  • 15McGeouch
  • 11HedgesSubstituted forRamseyat 89'minutes
  • 19Ferguson
  • 17HayesSubstituted forMcGinnat 76'minutes
  • 22KamberiSubstituted forHornbyat 45'minutes
  • 9HendrySubstituted forCampbellat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Hornby
  • 10McGinn
  • 23Ross
  • 24Campbell
  • 27Gallagher
  • 28Ruth
  • 30Ritchie
  • 33Kennedy
  • 44Ramsey
Referee:
Nick Walsh

Match Stats

Home TeamRangersAway TeamAberdeen
Possession
Home55%
Away45%
Shots
Home9
Away11
Shots on Target
Home4
Away4
Corners
Home6
Away3
Fouls
Home10
Away5

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Rangers 4, Aberdeen 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Rangers 4, Aberdeen 0.

  3. Post update

    James Tavernier (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).

  5. Post update

    Foul by Connor Goldson (Rangers).

  6. Post update

    Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Connor Goldson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Niall McGinn (Aberdeen).

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Aberdeen. Calvin Ramsey replaces Ryan Hedges.

  10. Goal!

    Goal! Rangers 4, Aberdeen 0. Jermain Defoe (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Greg Stewart.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Fraser Hornby (Aberdeen) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lewis Ferguson with a headed pass.

  12. Booking

    Steven Davis (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Steven Davis (Rangers).

  14. Post update

    Connor McLennan (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  15. Post update

    Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Allan McGregor.

  16. Post update

    Attempt saved. Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Fraser Hornby with a through ball.

  17. Post update

    Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Andrew Considine.

  18. Post update

    Attempt saved. Cedric Itten (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Greg Stewart with a cross.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Fraser Hornby.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Rangers. Cedric Itten replaces Joe Aribo because of an injury.

As It Stands

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Rangers383260921379102
2Celtic382211578294977
3Hibernian381891148351363
4Aberdeen381511123638-256
5St Johnstone381112153646-1045
6Livingston38129174254-1245
7Motherwell37129163853-1545
8St Mirren371111153745-844
9Dundee Utd371013143250-1843
10Ross County37106213365-3236
11Kilmarnock3796224154-1333
12Hamilton3779213465-3130
View full Scottish Premiership table

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