Thelo Aasgaard was Rangers’ shining light vs Motherwell, stats show why title hopes rest on him

Thelo Aasgaard was a shining light for Rangers on Sunday as they suffered a crushing blow to their title hopes at the hands of Motherwell.

The Gers were beaten 3-2, with Emmanuel Longelo’s stoppage-time winner leaving Ibrox stunned into silence.

Motherwell came into the game having lost four of their last five, but raced into a 2-0 lead through Lukas Fadinger and Longelo.

Danny Rohl’s team have proven their ability to come back regularly this season, and goals from Youssef Chermiti and Nicolas Raskin after the break had them level before heartbreak in the final moments.

Rangers’ form had been excellent before Sunday’s game, but the defeat has allowed Hearts to pull away with a four-point gap, while Celtic have also leapfrogged their Glasgow rivals.

Thelo Aasgaard among few positives for Rangers

Aasgaard was extremely unpopular among Rangers fans just a few months ago, but he has developed into a key player under Rohl.

The midfielder arrived from Luton Town last summer in a deal worth around £3.5million and initially struggled to adapt to life in Scotland.

Under the tumultuous leadership of Russell Martin, the 23-year-old was in and out of the team and rarely performed. The problems continued at the start of Rohl’s tenure, with one terrible moment seeing Aasgaard sent off in the Scottish League Cup semi-final against Celtic.

But over the last few months, Rangers fans have started to see why their decision-makers pushed the boat out to sign the Norway international.

Despite Sunday’s crushing result, Aasgaard was sensational. The midfielder created five chances and took two shots himself, providing a constant threat.

He will rue missing a big chance that would have put Rangers 3-2 up, but he did more than his fair share in the final third.

Defensively, the 23-year-old worked tirelessly. He made two tackles, completed five recoveries and won all but one of the duels he contested.

Rangers need Aasgaard at his best

Aasgaard was on a run of three consecutive matches with a direct goal contribution before Sunday’s game, and he likely should have had another.

Rangers were ultimately beaten, but they should be winning far more games if they can continue to produce performances like that.

While the defeat felt massive for the title race, Rohl’s team still have it all to play for over the coming weeks.

League leaders Hearts are up next before the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park. Win both of those, and Rangers will have themselves in the driving seat.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.