Rangers thump Aberdeen to extend SPFL lead
Rangers moved 11 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 4-0 demolition of under-strength Aberdeen.
Steven Gerrard's men remain unbeaten in 21 games this season and took full advantage of Celtic's latest slip up in dropping two points against Hibernian.
First-half goals from Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe put the host in command at Ibrox before Scott Arfield's deflected third and James Tavernier converted his ninth penalty of the season.
"We played some incredible stuff again. Some of our movement in the final third was exceptional. We are showing that relentlessness and really executing when we get in the right places," Gerrard said.
"We were strong from start to finish and I managed to make five changes and look after people who have been doing a lot of travel. As far as I'm concerned, I'm extremely happy."
Celtic has two games in hand but Rangers are off to their best league start in 53 years and are in pole position to stop their Glasgow rival achieving a record 10th consecutive Scottish title.
"I look at the league table every time we play," said Gerrard, who never won a league title during his decorated playing career at Liverpool. "I'm not going to deny that, but I've never known a manager to get carried away in November.
"There is a lot of football to be played, a lot of challenges, a lot of big hurdles to get over. But I won't deny I'm happy. I'd much rather be where we are of course."
Aberdeen had only lost once in the league since going down to Rangers in a disappointing opening-day performance, but Derek McInnes's squad was decimated without eight first-team players.
Niall McGinn, Marley Watkins, Dylan McGeouch, Scott Wright and Jonny Hayes were injured before on-loan Rangers midfielder Ross McCrorie's positive coronavirus test forced Scotland Under-21 team-mates Connor McLennan and Lewis Ferguson into self-isolation.
Kent opened the floodgates on 15 minutes when the former Liverpool winger nutmegged Funso Ojo and fired a 30-yard shot which spun off Tommie Hoban's face and the post before hitting the net.
Roofe doubled the lead in the 29th minute when he latched on to Connor Goldson's delicate ball over the top of Andy Considine and ran through Greg Leigh's challenge before hitting a shot in off Lewis.
Arfield scored from his second chance in the opening four minutes of the second-half when his shot hit off Shay Logan and deceived Lewis after the midfielder had been set up by Kent.
Tavernier netted his 13th goal of the season after Considine had been penalised for a pull on Leon Balogun at a corner.
At the other end, Rangers registered a 13th clean sheet in 15 league games this season as Gerrard's side already boast a plus 38 goal difference.
