Derek McInnes was full of praise for his Rangers side after they produced what he called a “big performance” to beat Celtic and extend their winning run to five games in a row.
The Ibrox side came into the cup tie with momentum behind them, but facing Celtic is always a different kind of test. McInnes knew that better than most, and he made sure his players understood exactly what would be required to get the result.
And get the result they did. Rangers swept aside their Old Firm rivals in a performance that will have given their supporters plenty to shout about, continuing a run of form that is starting to look seriously impressive.
Five wins on the bounce is no small thing in Scottish football, and doing it with a cup victory over Celtic makes it all the more significant. McInnes was keen to stress that the performance level had to be right from the first whistle, and by all accounts his side delivered exactly that.
Speaking after the final whistle, the Rangers boss was clearly delighted but also measured in how he assessed the win. He pointed to the preparation, the attitude of the players, and the collective effort as the key ingredients that made the difference on the day.
For Celtic, it is a result that will sting. Cup competitions offer a chance to win silverware and being knocked out by your biggest rivals is never easy to take. They will need to regroup quickly with league business still very much alive.
But this day belonged to Rangers and to McInnes, who continues to build something at the club that is starting to gather real pace. Five consecutive wins across all competitions shows a consistency that supporters have been hungry for, and a cup scalp against Celtic adds serious weight to what is shaping up to be a strong run of form.
The atmosphere at games like this is always electric, and the Rangers fans will have been in full voice throughout. Moments like these are what the Old Firm rivalry is all about, and a cup victory adds extra spice to what is already the most intense fixture in Scottish football.
McInnes will now turn his attention to keeping that momentum going. Five wins is a fine run, but the job is never done in football and he will be well aware that the standards need to stay high if Rangers are to keep pushing forward.
For now though, this was a day to savour for the blue half of Glasgow. A big performance in the biggest game, just as their manager demanded.