Rangers have fallen five points adrift of Celtic in the Premiership title race after losing the first Old Firm fixture of the season at Parkhead. First half goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo had the hosts in control. After the break, Callum McGregor put the icing on the cake for Brendan Rodgers with a terrific finish from distance.

The defeat is another blow to boss Philippe Clement as he continues to wait for his first victory in the derby. The questions over the manager and his squad will continue over the international break. Here, the Rangers Review looks at the key issues from another Old Firm loss.

Title hopes suffer another blow

There is still plenty of football to be played. A five-point deficit at this stage of the campaign is not insurmountable. Yet this was another fixture that showed where these sides are and where they are heading. No Rangers fan would have come away from this one confident that Clement’s side can clinch the title this term. Many didn't believe that it was on before it, right enough.

More often than not, Rangers should be able to overcome the best of the rest in the Premiership. When it comes to the Old Firm fixtures, the gap is clear. Ultimately, a team that cannot beat Celtic over 90 minutes will never beat them over 38 matches.

Come the next derby at Ibrox in January, Rangers cannot afford to be any further back than they are at present. That in itself will take some doing for Clement’s side. Supporters had little faith before a ball was kicked at Parkhead. They will have even less now. It is shaping up to be a long, difficult campaign at Ibrox.

Defensive disasters are costly again

The fears about how the Rangers defence would cope with the Celtic attack were well founded. Much of the focus was on the battle between James Tavernier and Maeda but Rangers have looked susceptible individually and collectively this term and Celtic were, as expected, too sharp and too clinical. The warning when Kyogo’s early effort was ruled out for offside wasn’t headed.

Tavernier toiled against Maeda and the loss of the first goal was so similar to so many that have been conceded in this fixture. The captain was flat-footed and Maeda was alert to the cross.

On the other side, Jefte was exposed and looked every inch a raw derby debutant. The biggest issue was the way in which the centre-backs performed. Quite what Robin Propper was doing for the second goal remains a mystery as Kyogo advanced and then beat Jack Butland. John Souttar was not much better overall.

It should have been 3-0 before the interval but Paulo Bernando couldn’t convert after he was left unmarked on the edge of the area. Kyogo spurned a glorious chance as the Rangers defence was again split open far too easily after the restart.

The third arrived with 15 minutes remaining. Rangers were caught in possession and paid the price. The finish from McGregor was a moment of class that nobody in blue looked capable of.

No quality or conviction in final third

The start was aggressive, the press was high. Rangers couldn’t capitalise on it or sustain it, though. The chances that fell to Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo summed up the difference between the teams. Rangers lacked quality and Celtic were full of conviction.

That same can be used to describe the chance that came to Dessers after the break. Ross McCausland nipped in to win the ball. From the edge of the area, Dessers saw a tame strike easily gathered.

(Image: PA)

A promising moment after the hour mark saw Jefte in an advanced position on the left. It ended with McCausland unable to control or convert the ball. A Tavernier volley was saved when the game was well beyond Rangers.

Big players didn’t justify Clement calls

There have been few occasions during Clement’s tenure when the team that he has selected has been met with widespread approval. This was one of those times, though. The return of Propper was welcomed, as was the decision to select Mohamed Diomande ahead of Tom Lawrence as Dujon Sterling partnered Connor Barron. The rest picked itself on form and fitness.

Too many didn’t turn up. Diomande in particular was a failure for Rangers. He was not the only one but his early exit for Lawrence summed up his performance.

This was an afternoon where Rangers were beaten man-for-man and as a unit. The side with better players showed that they are a far superior team.

Celtic went into this one having scored the first goal in nine of the last eleven derbies. They added to that run here. Once again, they never looked back.

The bench looked stronger than it has done at times this season and Clement had to turn to it early as Matondo was replaced by McCausland. The number of options will increase as players return from injury and the new recruits are added. This group will still have the same questions to answer.

Long-term planning won’t deliver short-term success

The feeling at 11pm on Friday night was that Rangers had not done enough and that they were short of strength and depth. The first 90 minutes after deadline day did nothing to allay the fears of a support that demanded further reinforcements and were left disappointed.

Nedim Bajrami and Neraysho Kasanwirjo were added to the squad and will have their own part to play this term. Yet Clement’s hand is simply not strong enough. Rangers may well prove good enough to beat Celtic in a one-off over the course of the campaign, but this is not a group that looks equipped to be challengers, never mind champions.

Rangers were not ready for the opening match at Tynecastle and dropped two points. They were not ready for Champions League and lost to Dynamo Kyiv. On the day that Arne Engels – an £11million signing – made his Celtic debut, the latest Rangers recruits watched on. Rangers were not ready for the derby and were comprehensively beaten.

Clement has repeatedly spoken about this being a long-term project. That may well be the case. But the here and now is what matters most to supporters. They are the ones who are licking their Old Firm wounds once again.