Brendan Rodgers’ team prevailed in the second Old Firm derby of the season, and Rangers lost their opportunity to catch up to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
In the event that the Light Blues had defeated St Johnstone at Ibrox on Tuesday, 2 January, they could have moved ahead of the Hoops in the standings, having won all three points at Parkhead on Saturday, December 30.
But that chance is now gone, and even if Philippe Clement’s team wins the two games left to play, they won’t be able to take first place, meaning Celtic is once again in the driver’s seat in this year’s championship race.
To win the title at the end of the season, Rangers will need the champions to lose or win the remaining Old Firm games, but just a few days after winning the Glasgow derby, Rodgers has gained even more momentum.
Despite his heroics on derby day, Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has not been named in Japan’s squad for the 2024 Asia Cup. As a result, he will be available for all of the Hoops’ games in January, which will be a welcome boost for Glasgow’s green side [Daily Record, 1 January].
With eight goals in 18 starts this season, the 28-year-old hasn’t quite reached the heights of his career, but Rangers supporters are well aware of the impact he can make.
This past season, the Japanese international scored an incredible 35 goals in 52 games across all competitions. His goals have the ability to virtually define a Premiership title race when he performs at his peak.
With players like Cyriel Dessers, Kemar Roofe, and Danilo all struggling to find a balance between form and fitness thus far this season, Clement lacks a goal scorer in his lineup.
Former Hoops striker and Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton expressed his delight at hearing about Kyogo’s rejection by tweeting, “Result for Celtic this,” on January 1.
In the end, the Asia Cup players won’t miss too many games thanks to the winter break, but if Rodgers’ team hadn’t had Kyogo, there was a greater chance that they would have lost and Rangers would have been able to get closer.
Rather, Clement and his team will need to exert themselves to regain the lead in the standings. They cannot depend on other teams to put in the necessary effort on their behalf if they hope to win a Premiership title.
