Rangers were unable to make their second-half pressure count at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon, as Steven Gerrard’s side drew 1-1 with their Old Firm rivals, although they do preserve their unbeaten run by avoiding defeat.
The Ibrox outfit had plenty of chances to add a second goal after Alfredo Morelos’ equaliser in the first half but were forced to settle for a draw against John Kennedy’s Celtic side.
Although the performance was much more impressive than Thursday’s 2-0 defeat against Slavia Prague in the Europa League, there will still some lacklustre displays at Parkhead, with Joe Aribo arguably nowhere near his usual standard.
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The Nigerian international has been one of Gerrard’s most impressive performers in the Premiership so far this season, having averaged a superb 7.4 rating across his 26 appearances, with six goals and four assists to his name.
However, he wasn’t anywhere near his best on Sunday and struggled to have much influence on the game, even when Gerrard pushed him further forward when Scott Arfield replaced Ianis Hagi in the second half.
As per SofaScore, the former Charlton Athletic man would earn a disappointing 6.6/10 rating for his display, which was the worst of any Rangers player who started the game.
Aribo really struggled to have any influence on the game whatsoever, as he managed no shots, no dribbles and no key passes during his time on the pitch.
Considering he has averaged 1.6 shots, 1.9 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game in the Premiership so far this season, it is definitely fair to suggest that he was very underwhelming on Sunday, which will surely frustrate Gerrard, as he is reliant on the Nigerian to be the creative force in his midfield.
The 24-year-old also failed to complete a single long ball or cross in his 77 minutes on the pitch, so it was no surprise to see him axed in favour of Scott Wright as Rangers chased a winning goal.
Although he may well have been tired following the Europa League game in midweek, there is no denying that this performance was far from Aribo’s usual standard, and with their rivals there for the taking, Gerrard may well be fuming that one of his chief creators failed to really turn up.
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