Rangers 4 – 0 Dundee U

The record-breaking Rangers entered the history books with a seventh consecutive clean sheet in a 4-0 win over Dundee United.

But the result came at a cost for Steven Gerrard as he saw four of his players sustain injuries.

The Light Blues became the first Scottish team to open a season with seven consecutive shutouts as they maintained their three-point lead at the top of the table.

August Player of the Month Ryan Kent opened the scoring early before captain James Tavernier sealed the win in his 250th appearance for the club.

Kemar Roofe and Scott Arfield completed the scoring midway through the second half, but Gerrard will be left sweating after Leon Balogun, Ryan Jack, Brandon Barker and Alfredo Morelos had to be replaced.

Concerns about Ibrox’s casualties began midweek with the confirmation that Joe Aribo could miss six more weeks with an ankle injury that has already kept him out for a month.

United, which remains in eighth place, had Lawrence Shankland back on the bench after a similar layoff.

But the game hadn’t even started when Gerrard had more to worry about.

Filip Helander was scheduled to start among the substitutes after returning from Sweden’s service just 24 hours earlier, but was quick to enter the starting lineup with a late warning when Balogun was injured in warm-up.

Jack then went down 11 minutes with an apparent recurrence of the calf problems that bothered him last trimester. Barker didn’t last much longer when he stopped after chasing a ball around the corner.

Fortunately for the Rangers boss, his side had already taken the lead at this point.

The Rangers had created little in the first 13 minutes, but Kent’s deception soon opened up the United defense.

Pairing with Ianis Hagi at the edge of the box, the £ 7 million winger continued his impressive start to the new season when he sent Ryan Edwards one way, then another, before hitting Benjamin Siegrist’s legs.

Morelos was sent to replace Barker, but lost his first sight on goal by failing to connect cleanly with Kent’s cut.

But the Rangers were two up seven minutes before halftime. Borna Barisic’s center took a blow off Luke Bolton but still managed to find Tavernier at the back post and pushed Jamie Robson to push home on his run out.

Roofe turned down a good opportunity to extend the Rangers’ lead moments in the second half when he fired straight at Siegrist.

The former Leeds forward got involved again when he put Morelos back, but Kent was unable to convert when the Colombian shot at goal.

That turned out to be Morelos ‘last participation, as moments later he was brought down on a stretcher with a nasty injury to his thigh after being caught by Edwards’ shocking challenge.

Unbelievably, referee Kevin Clancy didn’t even speak to Defender of Terrors when he could easily have blinked red.

Siegrist repelled two more efforts from Hagi and Calvin Bassey, but was unable to do anything after 68 minutes when Roofe put a toe on Arfield’s foot to divert him home.

Ian Harkes nearly smashed the Rangers’ clean sheet with five minutes to go when his fierce attack rattled Jon McLaughlin’s crossbar.

But it was the hosts who pounced again with three minutes to go as Hagi set up Arfield to hit the fourth.

Whats Next?

The Rangers will be out of Hibernian next Sunday in the Scottish Premiership, live on Sky Sports (starts at 12pm). Dundee United will host St Mirren at home on Saturday (start at 3pm).