Can Chermiti keep Rangers in title race?
Chermiti netted a hat-trick in Rangers' only win over Hearts this season [BBC] After last weekend's defeat to Motherwell, Rangers surely cannot afford to lose against Hearts on Monday evening if they want to keep their title chances alive. Having mounted a comeback from two down in their previous outing to thump Falkirk 6-3, Danny Rohl's side were unable to deliver a similar escape act against the Steelmen, going down 3-2 and slipping to third. The first of four remaining games comes at Tynecastle.
Win and they'll move within a point of Hearts. But lose and the deficit will stretch to a chasm of seven. Could Youssef Chermiti be the man to make the difference for Rangers?
Since arriving from Everton for £8m last summer the 21-year-old - who has scored 12 goals in 26 Premiership appearances - has performed only in flashes and faced criticism for his missed chances. He has not struggled against Hearts though. In fact, one third of Chermiti's Premiership goals have come against Derek McInnes' men.
In two defeats and one win Rangers have netted five against Hearts this season - and Chermiti has scored four of them, with the other a Michael Steinwender own goal. The Portuguese striker's hat-trick in the 4-2 Ibrox victory over Hearts in February was a glimpse of the lethal finishing and dynamic forward play he has shown too infrequently. Across his three games against Hearts this season Chermiti has had eight shots - the most of any Rangers player and the same number as opposing striker Lawrence Shankland in one fewer meeting.
Chermiti has scored four of his five big chances against the Tynecastle club and is averaging a goal every 39. 5 minutes. He has vastly outperformed his xG (expected goals) of 1.