SUTTON SLAMS RANGERS’ MINDSET AS HE ACCUSES THEM OF “ROBBERY EXCUSES” AFTER SCRAPED 2:1 WIN OVER LIVINGSTON

The Scottish Premiership delivered drama on and off the pitch once again as Rangers’ narrow 2 : 1 victory over Livingston sparked a blistering on air confrontation between Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd. What began as a standard post match analysis spiralled into one of the most heated exchanges of the season, with Sutton accusing Rangers of making excuses “every time they lose to Celtic,” a remark that sent Boyd into an immediate fury and ignited a social media storm.

Rangers entered the match under pressure to deliver a convincing performance after inconsistent weeks, and they started brightly. E. Fernandez opened the scoring in the 9th minute, finishing sharply after Rangers sliced through Livingston’s defensive line. But instead of building on their early advantage, Rangers quickly regressed, allowing Livingston to seize momentum.

The hosts levelled just nine minutes later when T. Yengi struck in the 18th minute, capitalising on sloppy defending as Rangers failed to clear their lines. The equaliser shifted the atmosphere entirely, with Livingston growing in confidence and Rangers appearing rattled. Despite Rangers taking the lead early, the first half ended 1 1, a reflection of their fading control and Livingston’s growing belief.

Rangers eventually secured all three points when M. Diomande fired home in the 78th minute with a composed finish from the edge of the box. But even with the victory, the performance left significant questions and it was Sutton who wasted no time voicing them.

In the Sky Sports studio, Sutton opened fire.

“Let’s not pretend this was some dominant display,” he said. “Yes, they won and nobody is calling it robbery. But they were exposed. If Livingston can put them under pressure like that, imagine what happens when they face Celtic.”

Kris Boyd, predictably, was instantly defensive.

“You just can’t give them credit,” Boyd snapped. “They got the win. You come here every week ready to tear them to pieces.”

But Sutton wasn’t interested in softening his stance. Instead, he delivered the line that exploded across Scottish football social media within minutes.

“The funny thing is,” Sutton said, “when Rangers win, everything’s grand. But when they lose to Celtic? Oh, it’s robbery, it’s injustice, the referees, the weather, the planets aligning, you name it. They always find a story.”

The studio fell silent for a second as Boyd’s face tightened.

“That’s absolute rubbish,” Boyd fired back. “You know exactly what you’re doing. That’s not analysis that’s winding people up.”

Sutton laughed. “I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking. If they play like they did today against Celtic, they won’t be talking about robbery. They’ll be picking the ball out of their own net.”

The host attempted to intervene, but the argument had already reached full intensity, with both pundits speaking over one another. Viewers immediately clipped the exchange and posted it across X, Facebook and TikTok, where it amassed thousands of views within minutes.

Online reactions mirrored the divide seen in the studio. Rangers fans slammed Sutton’s remarks as disrespectful and agenda driven, insisting the win especially through Diomande’s late strike showed resilience. Others, however, agreed with Sutton’s assessment, arguing that Rangers looked shaky from the moment Yengi equalised and that the team still lacks control in crucial phases.

Some Celtic supporters, unsurprisingly, championed Sutton’s comments, joking that he had simply said out loud what rival fans routinely voice across social platforms. The rivalry between the clubs ensured Sutton’s robbery remark became the headline clip of the weekend.

Meanwhile, Rangers’ coaching staff attempted to strike a more balanced tone in their post match interviews. They acknowledged that the team lost their way after the opening goal but insisted that grinding out results is essential in the Premiership title race. “It’s about winning these games,” a staff member noted. “But yes, consistency is something we must improve.”

Sutton, however, maintained his stance in a later segment, again pointing to Rangers’ reaction after Fernandez’s early goal. “They switched off,” he argued. “They let Livingston back in. It happens too often.”

Boyd concluded the broadcast clearly annoyed but still defending his former club, insisting that Sutton was manufacturing drama rather than offering fair analysis.

Whether Sutton’s warning proves accurate will become clear when Rangers face tougher Premiership opposition. For now, their 2 1 win with goals from Fernandez 9’, Yengi 18’, and Diomande 78’ has been overshadowed by the explosive studio showdown that followed.

And as far as viral football moments go, Sutton’s sharpest line is already carved into the weekend’s headlines:

“When Rangers win it’s fine. When they lose to Celtic, it’s always robbery.”