- Kevin Thomson and Rangers camp insist belief remains ahead of decisive final fixtures.
- Celtic beat Falkirk, Hearts win at Hibs, whole Rangers lose late to Motherwell as title race tightens.
- Rangers fight back from 2–0 down but concede stoppage-time winner at Ibrox.
It was a weekend that shifted momentum in the Premiership title race, but for Rangers, the equation remains simple, win the next one and the picture changes again.
Saturday saw Celtic keep pace with a 3–1 victory over Falkirk, a result that kept them firmly in the hunt without significantly altering the landscape.
The real damage came 24 hours later at Ibrox, where Rangers were beaten 3–2 by Motherwell with a last-minute winner.
Rangers slip up against Steelmen
It was a defeat that hurt not just because of the result, but the manner of it.
Two goals down early, Rangers showed resilience and attacking quality to fight back through a Youssef Chermiti double, building momentum and turning the stadium.
At 2–2, there was a growing sense that the game, and perhaps the weekend, was swinging back in their favour.
Instead, a late sucker punch turned it on its head.
Hearts handle the heat
At 2-2 Rangers had been top of the table, with Hearts trailing against Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby at the time.
That would quickly change and shift the full title picture.
Derek McInnes’s side took full advantage.
Their 2–1 win away to Hibernian was a result many viewed as a potential stumbling block.
Kevin Thomson shocked at Hearts’ win
Even former Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson expected a slip on the Breakdown Podcast.
“I think a lot of Hearts fans and also myself watching the league unfold thought Hearts had to go to Easter Road and win,” he admitted.
“I thought it was a banana skin for them.
“I thought Hibs would maybe not beat them, but I thought they could potentially drop points, and they’ve not.”
That outcome has reshaped the table heading into the final stretch.
Hearts now sit on 73 points, with Celtic on 70 and Rangers on 69 after 34 games.
Rangers remain defiant
The statistical probabilities may now favour Tynecastle, but within the Rangers camp, and among those who understand the nature of a title run-is, there is no sense that the race is over.
Even Rangers boss Danny Rohl said the club would keep fighting on.
“I saw the picture from our fans at Falkirk, the flag saying ‘Keep Believing’,” said the German post Motherwell.
“This is the right time to lift this slogan with emotion. Really, we will keep believing. Otherwise, it’s difficult.
“We have four more finals, four games to go and it’s our job.”
Midfielder Thelo Aasgaard echoed the sentiment.
“We’ve got the belief that we can do it, we’re stronger than we’ve ever been this season,” he said.
“We’ll group together and go again.”
Even Thomson was clear in his assessment of what comes next.
“They can go to Tynecastle next Monday and win, it’s only a game of football,” he said calmly.
“If you’re playing for Celtic or Rangers, you’re going there thinking you can win 100%.”
Read Rangers analysis
That is now the reality facing Rangers.
There is no margin for error, but there is still opportunity.
A win at Tynecastle would immediately reframe the race, cutting the gap and shifting pressure back onto their rivals, with a trip to Celtic Park the following weekend.
The disappointment of Sunday cannot be ignored, but neither can the response within the game.
Rangers showed enough in that second-half display to suggest they remain capable of sustaining a challenge.
What matters now is translating that into a complete performance when it matters most.
