Aberdeen 4-0 Dundee: Three things we learned as Dons end winless league slump in style.

Aberdeen recovered their attacking edge to secure their first win and goals of the Premiership season, with on-loan Bologna winger Jesper Karlsson demonstrating his talent.

Aberdeen’s lengthy wait for their first Premiership win and goal of the season was finally over as they defeated Dundee 4-0 at Pittodrie.

Despite the win, the Dons remain at the bottom of the Premiership, but three points and an offensive performance will relieve pressure on manager Jimmy Thelin.

For the third week in a row, Thelin went with three at the back, and it paid off with an impressive win.

Aberdeen’s long Premiership drought ended when on-loan Bologna winger Jesper Karlsson converted a penalty in the 22nd minute to put the Reds ahead 1-0. It was the Dons’ first league goal this season, and their first in 636 minutes.

Aberdeen led 3-0 at halftime, with Adil Aouchiche and Emmanuel Gyamfi adding goals.

Karlsson, the Swedish international, demonstrated why Bologna paid £10 million for him with a magnificent solo second goal to make it 4-0. Lutz Pfannenstiel was at Pittodrie to see the stunning triumph after travelling to Aberdeen to discuss the Dons’ director of football position.

The 52-year-old German recently departed his post as sporting director at St Louis City FC. Pfannenstiel, who has been connected with a similar role at German club Borussia Monchengladbach, is in the running to succeed Steven Gunn as Aberdeen’s director of football.

Pfannenstiel is in Granite City for an interview, and it is anticipated the Dons will discuss the role with other contenders.

Aberdeen ease the pressure on Thelin

Aberdeen may still be at the bottom of the Premiership table, but this win will relieve some of the strain on manager Thelin.

The Dons entered this game without a win in their first six Premiership games, and without a league win in their previous ten matches, dating back to last season.

This performance demonstrated that Aberdeen not only has the talent to spark the season, but they also have the character to succeed.

Granted, it came against Dundee, who are also suffering and have not won at Pittodrie in 16 games, dating back to 2004. However, this was a must-win encounter for Aberdeen, and they delivered.

Not only was there an attacking intent, there was an end product.

Aberdeen remained defensively resolute throughout. The Reds’ poor league performance has generated numerous issues, with little answers provided.

The key question was, could Thelin and his team preserve the season? They responded with a loud ‘yes’ to Dundee.

At halftime, as the Dons departed the ground to a standing ovation, the match-day DJ played Bob Marley and the Wailers’ ‘Three Little Birds’.

The melody goes: “don’t worry, about a thing, ’cause every little thing is gonna be alright.” One win does not represent a turnaround while the Reds are still leading the Premiership.

However, based on their first league win of the season, there is reason to believe Bob Marley’s statements about the Dons.

Three is the magic number

Aberdeen and manager Thelin must move ahead with three at the back. Thelin used three centre-backs for the third match in a row, and this time they won, as recent promising signals had shown.

Thelin had used a 4-2-3-1 formation in 58 of his 59 games in all competitions, with the only exception being a 3-5-2 victory over Celtic in the Scottish Cup final in May.

He used a 3-4-1-2 for the recent 2-0 loss to Motherwell and a 3-5-2 for the 3-2 Uefa Conference League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.

Against Dundee, Thelin used a 3-4-1-2 shape, which provided the club with balance, an attacking edge, and defensive solidity. Aberdeen now have the international break to thoroughly prepare for their away trip to St Mirren on Saturday, October 18. Another two weeks of training should have the Dons fully firing on a configuration that is beginning to maximise the squad’s capabilities. Thelin made five changes to the starting lineup that was defeated by Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in the Uefa Conference League opening.

Alexander Jensen, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Graeme Shinnie, Adil Aouchiche, and Kevin Nisbet all returned.

Topi Keskinen, Alfie Dorrington, Leighton Clarkson, Ante Palaversa, and Marko Lazetic all dropped to the bench.

The new formation also allows Gyamfi and Karlsson, both of whom scored this summer, to effectively link up along the left wing. It has the potential to be a powerful combination.

Premiership goal drought ends

Aberdeen’s long and costly goal drought was finally broken when Jesper Karlsson converted a penalty in the 22nd minute.

Thelin’s Reds were the first top-flight squad to go scoreless in their first six games since Ebbe Skovdahl’s Aberdeen in 1999.

Jeppe Okkels scored the Dons’ last goal in the 16th minute of a 2-1 loss to Dundee United at Tannadice in the season’s last game. Cameron Congreve’s penalty for handball was given after a VAR review, giving Aberdeen their first Premiership goal of the season.

It was a clear handball, and Karlsson easily converted to give Aberdeen its first league goal in 636 minutes. When Karlsson’s strike found the back of the net, the Red Army erupted in joy and relief that the Premiership goal drought had ended. Aberdeen goals are like buses; you wait an age for one to arrive, and then they come in droves.

The second came on the half-hour mark, when Adil Aouchiche took advantage of sloppy play to score a 12-yard strike past goalie Jon McCracken.

Stuart Armstrong’s pass from the left of Emmanuel Gyamfi made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute.

Wing-back Gyamfi ran onto the ball and scored from six yards for his first Aberdeen goal since joining from Schalke in the summer. Karlsson made it 4-0 in the 64th minute with a stunning goal.

Mark Lazetic passed him the ball in the box. Karlsson was surrounded by three players – Findlay Robertson, Ryan Astley, and Luke Graham – but he managed to get the ball past them to make up room for a shot.

He then hammered a 12-yard shot past the keeper for a spectacular single goal. Aberdeen had 20 shots on goal, nine of which were on target, giving plenty of reason to be optimistic.

Aberdeen (3-4-2-1): Mitov 7; Devlin 8; Milne 7; Knoester 7; Jensen 7; Armstrong 7 (Milanovic 68), Shinnie 7 (Heltne Nilsen 68), Gyamfi 7; Aouchiche 7 (Polvara 68), Karlsson 8 (Keskinen 73); Nisbet 6 (Lazetic 59). Suman, Clarkson, and Palaversa were not utilised as substitutes.

Dorrington. DUNDEE (4-2-3-1): McCracken 7; Astley 5, C. Robertson 5, Graham 6, Samuels 5; Hamilton 5 (Digby 89), F. Robertson 5 (Jones 80); Congreve 4, Dhanda 4 (Reilly 80), Westley (Hay 62); Murray 5 (Acquah).

Subs not used: O’Hara, Donnelly, Wright, Yogane.

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