Johnstone's red card at 74 came before Rangers' fourth goal

Rangers beat ST Johnstone 4-0 at Ibrox, and the visitors' sending off was the moment the game changed shape.

The match turned on a red card rather than a goal. Kai Fotheringham was sent off for ST Johnstone at the 74th minute, a minute after a VAR review upgraded the decision against him, and his side had to hold on for the last sixteen minutes a man short. Rangers still found time for their fourth, Tochi Chukwuani scoring at 87 after a pass from Djeidi Gassama, so the sending off is the event the scoreline rests on.

Rangers had more of the ball than they usually do. They held 64% of possession at Ibrox, against a home average of 56.2% this season, while ST Johnstone's 36% came in below the 46.3% they normally manage away from home. Possession alone does not decide a game, but here it matched the picture on the pitch.

The shots show where the gap was widest. Rangers took 22, above their usual 19.4 at home, and 16 of them came from inside the box, where chances are most likely to go in. Their expected goals, a figure that weighs how good each chance was by where and how it was struck, reached 4.72, far above the 1.64 they usually produce at home.

Johnstone's shooting was close to their normal away level, with nine attempts, but only two were on target and their expected goals sat well under what they usually create on the road. Steward made six saves in goal and was the visitors' best-rated player, though his rating of 6.6 reflects a side under constant pressure rather than a match he won.

Kevin Kelsy did most of the damage. He scored twice, took seven shots and was rated 9.1, the highest mark in these figures. Ryan Naderi was not far behind on 9.0, with a goal of his own and the assist for Kelsy's opener, and his pass to set up the first goal was the kind of link that kept Rangers moving forward.

Four goals is well above the 2.8 scored per match on average across this division, and Johnstone conceded four despite conceding only 1.2 per game on their travels this season. For Rangers the scoring was a clear step up on their usual 1.4 at home, the kind of return that lifts a side up a table.

Rangers are second in the table with 20 points from nine games, and they have won five of their last six. ST Johnstone are fifth with 12 from nine, and their away form over the last six reads two wins, three draws and a defeat.

Player of the matchK. Kelsy2 goals9.1

R. Naderi1 goal · 1 assist9.0

E. Fernandez10 duels won8.0

D. Sterling2 chances created7.7