After two campaigns of inferiority back in the Scottish Premiership, last season was when Rangers truly started to compete in Old Firm contests.



In their first campaign back in the top-flight – 2016-17 – Rangers failed to win any of their six meetings with Celtic in all competitions, losing by an aggregate score of 16-4. The following season, they failed to win in five, losing 14-2 overall. But in 2018-19, it was honours even: both clubs won their two home matches. Celtic proved much more effective at collecting points from other matches, and won the title with relative ease. But each Old Firm contest was, at last, just that: a contest.



Much of that improvement is down to the impact of Steven Gerrard – and, in particular, his emphasis upon aggressive, organised pressing in advanced positions. The Old Firm contest has, perhaps more than any other match in Europe, always been characterised by frantic running, physical tackles and getting into the faces...