Michael Stewart insists it would be foolish to discount Rangers as favourites for the Premiership title. 

The tables turned at the summit of the league at the weekend as Philippe Clement's side leapfrogged Celtic. 

They went two points clear yesterday with a comfortable 3-0 win at McDiarmid Park.

That followed on from David Watson's last-gasp equaliser for Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon, which saw Brendan Rodgers' champions drop points at home for the fourth time this season.

Stewart previously felt the Ibrox club were out of the running for the title in the autumn after a horrific start to the season under Michael Beale. 

However, the former Hearts captain has changed his mind, and now believes it's Rangers' to lose.

He said on Sportscene: “For me, it would be silly not to say that Rangers are favourites. They’ve got the ascendancy and the momentum.

“The challenge is there for Celtic. They need to get their big players back and get them back quickly to try to make sure they don’t find themselves any further behind.

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“They have to keep themselves in the hunt as it will be tight in the end.

“But at the moment I would say Rangers certainly are favourites.

“This is the first time they’ve been able to get to the top of the table since Philippe Clement has come in.

“And it just continues the momentum that has been built up since that appointment.

“On the back of the disappointment of Celtic yesterday, it just helps to hammer home the ascendancy they’ve got just now.”

He added: “St Johnstone never offered anything in attack and Rangers, even when it was just 1-0, looked comfortable.

“And that’s the big difference at the moment between Rangers and Celtic.

“Even when the games are tighter and it’s not a dominant performance, there isn’t a nervousness about their game.

“They look assured and they’re sitting deservedly at the top of the table just now.”