Glasgow RangersPremiership title hopes are practically over after yet another defeat at Parkhead.

The last time the Light Blues won on enemy soil was October 2020 and judging by the performance on Saturday, it could be a while before they will win there again.

In a game that they needed to win to stand any chance of securing a first league title in three years, the Light Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat to their Old Firm rivals.

John-Lundstram

Conceding twice in the opening 35 minutes put Celtic in the driving seat, although Cyriel Dessers halved the deficit heading into half-time.

John Lundstram was sent off following a wild lunge at Alistair Johnstone, however, and this ended the Gers' faint hopes of winning.

Fabio Silva was one of the many underperformers and the quicker he returns to Wolves, the better.

Fabio Silva’s statistics vs Celtic

The Portuguese winger was chosen as the starting left-winger in Clement’s system at Parkhead, but he didn’t offer the required threat that the Light Blues needed against a Celtic defence which was there for the taking.

During his 74 minutes on the pitch, Silva completed just seven passes from 13 attempts, while managing only 27 touches – 22 fewer than Jack Butland – showing how little he saw of the ball.

Fabio Silva's statistics against Celtic

Goals

0

Assists

0

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Big chances missed

1

Via Sofascore

He did have a decent chance to open the scoring, dragging a left-footed shot just wide in the first half, yet aside from that, Silva failed with both of his dribble attempts, won just three of his 11 contested duels and lost possession a staggering 15 times.

In a must-win match, Clement needed players who could contribute much more effectively than this and the summer transfer window could make or break his time in charge.

Fabio Silva’s stats since joining Rangers

The on-loan forward has played 22 times for the Ibrox side since joining in December from Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring just five goals in that period.

He has been shoehorned into the left wing slot due to injuries to Abdallah Sima and Rabbi Matondo, yet the youngster has missed seven big chances in the top flight while creating zero big chances and averaging only 0.8 key passes per game.

fabio-silva-rangers-premiership

These statistics are hardly earth-shattering and prove that at times, he is out of his depth in Scottish football, struggling to cope with the physicality.

Clement needed a performance which was worthy of his hype and potential against Celtic on Saturday lunchtime, but he didn’t get it.

He wasn’t the only one, but with a defence that looked susceptible to balls played deep into the box, he should have carved more chances in the final third.

Alistair-Johnston-Fabio-Silva-Rangers-1

Silva won't be around the club next year, returning to Wolves at the end of the season. Clement will need to be careful should he decide to make another loan signing or two this summer, perhaps going for players who have slightly more experience.

Related
Clement could boldly ditch Rangers star who earns more than Tavernier
Phillipe Clement could be set for a major rebuilding job at Ibrox this summer