Rangers Held 2-2 at Livingston as Title Race Erupts: Manager Warnings, Reactions and Fixture Fallout
The Scottish Premiership produced seismic results as Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw away at bottom-side Livingston, a day when Celtic were beaten at home and other weekend scores applied fresh pressure across the table. Rangers remain in the title mix but head coach Danny Röhl warned against complacency and compared the current situation to a recent high-profile slip elsewhere in the sport.
Livingston vs Rangers: match report
Livingston and Rangers finished 2-2. Livingston manager Marvin Bartley described the match as a "real rollercoaster of emotions" and said that if he had been offered a 2-2 result before the game he would have taken it. Bartley said that at 2-0 up his side had looked comfortable, and he identified a sending off as the turning point that altered the game's momentum. He praised his players, saying they gave him everything and that he saw many positive signs despite the club's broader situation remaining difficult.
Rangers: Röhl’s belief and the cautionary warning
Rangers head coach Danny Röhl insisted there should be "no question mark" over his players' ability to handle a title fight. Röhl said the race now comes down to consistency, noting that who takes the most points before the league split will be crucial. He pointed to the need to prepare for the final five games by using the next six fixtures and stressed the importance of treating winnable matches with seriousness and aggression.
Röhl warned against repeating mistakes seen elsewhere, explicitly referencing a 2-2 Premier League draw between Arsenal and Wolves as an example of a match many expected to be straightforward but which proved otherwise. He also highlighted that Rangers have lost just one of their 19 league matches since he replaced Russell Martin in October, and that this run has yielded the most points of any top-flight team since he took over at Ibrox. Röhl acknowledged that two points behind the leaders looks positive but reminded that Rangers remain in second position and must keep pressing.
Weekend shockwaves: other results and table implications
Celtic were beaten at home, while Motherwell won emphatically and Hearts recorded a win, results that together intensified pressure at the top of the table. Observers noted that the two Glasgow clubs buckled under the day's pressure. The shifting results mean Motherwell would move to one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers before Celtic and Rangers play each other the following day.
There was commentary that it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Motherwell to finish above Celtic or Rangers, perhaps both, and that both Celtic and Rangers could find themselves third and fourth in the table if results continue to go against them.
Team news, reactions and voices from the day
Commentary on the day included input from Michael Stewart, identified as a former Hearts and Hibs midfielder, who appeared on a post-match programme to offer analysis. Among fan reactions was a strongly worded critique aimed at Russell Martin and player Trusty, arguing that Martin's claims of being "terrific" were misplaced given perceived defensive frailties, sideways midfield play and a lack of goals up front; the reaction labelled the assessment as deluded and warned of a heavy defeat if that level of performance continued.
Hibs head coach David Gray reflected on his team's positive moment, saying it had been a long time coming and noting that this season his side had twice been in positions where they did not lose. Gray said the result showed his team can match opponents when every player performs at their best. He described the win as a "massive three points" following a positive result the previous week against St Mirren, and he placed his side five points behind Motherwell while noting they were still to play Motherwell twice and face the other teams around them. Gray stressed that it is all to play for until the end of the season and that his team will aim to push up the table, taking one game at a time.
Broadcasts, upcoming fixtures and what to watch next
Livingston vs Rangers had coverage beginning from 2. 30pm (ET) with a kick-off at 3pm (ET). Highlights of the day's action can be caught on a scheduled highlights programme at 19: 15. Looking ahead, next week sees Hearts at home against Aberdeen and Motherwell at home against Dundee United, fixtures that will influence the tight title race and set up a crunch sequence when the leading clubs meet around the split.
Recent updates indicate managers and players are acutely aware that consistency over the remaining run of matches — and how teams perform in those head-to-head moments — will determine who emerges best positioned when the league splits.
