Dan Neil delivered the standout performance of his Rangers career so far as the midfielder inspired his side to victory over Celtic in a dominant Old Firm showing.
Wearing the captain's armband in the absence of Lawrence Shankland, Neil scored twice with contrasting finishes and controlled the middle of the park in what manager Derek McInnes described as one of the finest individual displays he has overseen since taking charge.
Neil, who joined Rangers on a three-year contract in July, was quickly brought into McInnes' leadership circle and has steadily grown into his role at Ibrox. Sunday's derby represented his first taste of the fixture, and he rose to the challenge, outshining experienced Celtic figures Callum McGregor and Benjamin Nygren. In one notable moment, Neil beat McGregor with a turn that left the Celtic captain trailing, a passage of play that summed up Rangers' authority over the 90 minutes.
He was flanked in midfield by Nicolas Raskin and James Penrice, the latter shifting inside from his usual left-back berth, and McInnes was full of praise for the trio's contribution to Rangers seizing control of the contest.
"Dan is going to get highlighted for his goals - two different types of finishes - but we knew we could occupy that space on the edge of the box if we attacked properly," McInnes said. "You still need people to step up and show their quality and Dan did that. His performance was really strong as well, as was Nico and wee James in there. The three of them were terrific and it played a big part in us getting some sort of ascendancy in the game."
Speaking to Premier Sports after the match, Neil reflected on a collective effort that he felt was fully merited. "It was a great team performance," he said. "We fully deserved the victory out there. In the last few games we've done well without the ball. Today we wanted to use the crowd and get after them - the lads executed it perfectly."
The midfielder also credited McInnes' preparation in the build-up to the fixture, saying the squad had bought into the manager's approach before kick-off. "We all believed in the plan," Neil added. "The gaffer is good before games and he made sure we were ready to run through brick walls. That togetherness and cohesion has really come on recently."
The result sets up an intriguing sequence of fixtures for both Glasgow clubs. Celtic host Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday before travelling to face Rangers again next Sunday in the Scottish Premiership - a rapid return fixture that will test the depth and resilience of both squads.
McInnes, who has overseen a turbulent spell since arriving at Ibrox, pointed to the spirit within his squad as a key factor behind the derby win, noting that the group has come through difficult periods together in recent weeks.
"It's up to us to keep reinforcing the message that when you play at Rangers there's another big game round the corner, and that's what we've got next Sunday," McInnes said. "I love the togetherness, I need to have this team who cares for each other, has love for each other. When things aren't going well you sometimes see the true strength. We've had some soul searching and tough times the past few weeks. It gives so much encouragement to the club, fans, and the board as to what we're capable of."
With momentum now behind them, Rangers will look to carry their derby-day form into the second meeting with Celtic just seven days later, a fixture that could prove pivotal in the shape of this season's title race.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.