Youssef Chermiti bizarre Rangers habit summed up as 37-year first achieved vs Celtic
Youssef Chermiti put on a show for Rangers against Celtic, but it wasn’t enough to seal all three points.
Despite being 2-0 up, the Light Blues were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Celtic on Sunday afternoon at Ibrox, and Chermiti was the one who put on a show for the hosts.
Chermiti opened the scoring with a sensational overhead kick, before doubling their first-half lead with a very tidy finish after getting the better of Julian Araujo.
His all-round play proved to be crucial for the Gers, but it was his two goals that saw the 21-year-old make history at Ibrox.
Youssef Chermiti did something for the first time since 1989
Chermiti has a rather helpful habit of scoring in big games for Rangers, and it was no different against Celtic on Sunday.
His two goals against Martin O’Neill’s side not only saw him increase his tally to nine for the season, but it was his fourth league goal of the season against Celtic.
And the last player to have achieved that for Rangers was Mark Walters, back in the 1988-89 season.
But what is even more impressive for the 21-year-old, and potentially even more cause for optimism at Ibrox, is that eight of his nine goals this season have been scored against Celtic and Hearts.
The forward has converted 61.5 per cent of his chances in games against those two sides, while having done so with just 2.27 per cent of his chances in other games.
As demonstrated by his Sofascore graphic above, Chermiti is at his best when the stakes are high, and that will almost certainly play into the Light Blues’ favour when it comes to their hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership title despite their latest blow.
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Rangers were close to throwing title hopes away in January
Without Chermiti’s goals in these big games, Rangers would be nowhere near the title race.
And it was believed in January that the Gers were prepared to sanction a loan for Chermiti, which made sense on the basis that he had scored just two goals by then.
However, his form since has demonstrated how detrimental it would have been had that deal been sanctioned, with the 21-year-old now their leading scorer across all competitions.
If Chermiti can replicate the form he has showcased in these high-stakes encounters, then Rangers are almost certainly heading for their first league title since Steven Gerrard departed Ibrox.
For more in-depth analysis of the Gers’ latest victory over Celtic, visit Football Insider.