Scott Arfield’s delight after the Motherwell match was clear to see.
It was a terrific day for the Canada international. Bagging a brace was perhaps the most important element from a personal standpoint, but Arfield was delighted to pay Motherwell back.
The last time the two sides met back in August, it ended 3-3. That didn’t tell the whole story either, as Motherwell netted a last-minute goal to snatch two points from Gers at Fir Park.
Steven Gerrard’s men, however, managed to show some terrific hunger this afternoon to snatch revenge in a 7-1 demolition. It was a mauling from start to finish, despite Curtis Main’s momentary equaliser for Motherwell.
And Arfield, speaking to Rangers TV post-match, was delighted to pay them back for August.
“I think with the game – we owed them one so to speak, when they scored in the last minute.
“So we know when get teams here, it’s going to be a completely different game. We can dominate the ball. When we go away from Ibrox, we need to perform more professionally and be diligent with out work.
“We done that at St Mirren last week and we nearly done that in Spartak. A couple of dodgy goals took it away from us, but going forward we’re a force. On a special day like this, it was just a magnificent day for everybody.”
Revenge is sweet for Gers
There was certainly an added intensity to Rangers’ play going forward this afternoon.
The draw to Motherwell back in August was perhaps still fresh in certain players’ minds. The build-up to that game saw ‘Well defender Peter Hartley make some obscene comments regarding last year’s Betfred Cup semi-final. It was an even bigger kick in the teeth for Rangers when it was he who scored the late equaliser.
Therefore, there was no let-up from Rangers today. Even when Motherwell went down to 10 men, there was a point there to be proven by the club this afternoon. A convincing and satisfying performance was only heightened by the opposition across from Rangers.
Arfield in particular, however, will be delighted at his own display. A pair of fine goals when Steven Gerrard was questioning whether he needed a number 10 – not bad going for the Canadian.
He had a point to prove to both himself and his manager. Even the supporters could’ve done with some reminding about what Arfield is all about. Today, they got it.
Motherwell won’t forget that defeat in a hurry, and with a growing bitterness between the two clubs, Rangers fans will cherish the three points.