Rangers: Joe Aribo stole the show vs Hearts | OneFootball

Rangers retained their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday.

The Gers took the lead through a stunning effort from John Lundstram, with the midfielder curling an exceptional effort from distance that Craig Gordon was unable to deal with. However, a last-minute equaliser from Craig Halkett after Allan McGregor fumbled a corner forced the two sides to share the spoils.

Steven Gerrard’s side now sit on 20 points in the Premiership after nine games, one point ahead of Hearts and four ahead of Celtic.

Whilst Lundstram scored the goal to put the Gers in front in the game, another player stole the show at Ibrox – Joe Aribo.

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The ex-Charlton man was deployed out wide on the right instead of his usual midfield role, with Lundstram and Glen Kamara starting in a two-man set-up in the middle of the park. He adapted well to his change of position as he caught the eye with a terrific display on the wing, arguably stealing the applause from the ex-Sheffield United goalscorer.

On the ball, he was superb. Per SofaScore, he completed 100% of his four attempted dribbles. This shows that he was able to beat his full-back with ease and showcase his ability in possession as he utilised his skills to progress Rangers up the pitch.

He also created four chances for his teammates as he provided a creative outlet out wide for Gerrard, although he was ultimately let down by the finishing of others – with Alfredo Morelos attempted seven shots and failing to hit the target once.

Defensively, Aribo pulled his weight for Rangers. Per SofaScore, he won eight of his 14 duels on the pitch, including an impressive seven of his 11 ground battles. He also made one tackle and one interception as he proved that he can play out wide without being a lightweight who the rest of the side need to carry throughout the game, which Gerrard will surely be delighted with.

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This demonstrates that Aribo was able to merge attacking flair with hard work and defensive diligence, which is why he stole the show on the day. It will now be interesting to see where he is selected to play against Brondby, in regards to whether Gerrard moves him back into midfield or keeps him closer to Morelos in attack.