Jesper Karlsson scores from the spotImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Jesper Karlsson, who is on loan at Aberdeen, cost Bologna £9.5m in August 2023

At a glance

  • Aberdeen end six-match goal drought to run riot with first win of season

  • Sweden international Karlsson scores twice in eye-catching performance

  • Aouchiche and Gyamfi also on target

  • Dons remain bottom, but now two points behind Dundee

A Jesper Karlsson-inspired Aberdeen ended their Scottish Premiership goal drought and romped to their first win of the league season by putting four past Dundee at Pittodrie.

Jimmy Thelin's side had failed to score in their opening six games, but in the space of 11 first-half minutes they netted three to race into an unassailable lead.

The opener came from the spot when Cameron Congreve needlessly handled the ball when trying to clear a corner. Up stepped Karlsson, rocketing the ball under Jon McCracken for Aberdeen's first league goal of the season.

Breaking that duck injected much-needed confidence into the Aberdeen players and the second followed quickly.

Kevin Nisbet laid the ball off to Adil Aouchiche who, despite lying on his back, squeezed a shot into the bottom corner through a crowd of Dundee bodies.

Moments later it was three. Stuart Armstrong hared down the left and picked out the under-lapping Emmanuel Gyamfi, who found the bottom corner with his weaker foot.

Jack Milne had a strike rightly ruled out for offside, but the best goal was yet to come.

Aberdeen tired in the second half, apart from the magnificent Karlsson. He raced on to a ball in the box, shimmied past a few defenders with the ball stuck to his foot, and lasered it into the top corner with his back to goal.

Although Aberdeen remain bottom, Jimmy Thelin couldn't help but smile on the touchline as he saw a glimpse of the team that went on an impressive unbeaten run at the start of last term.

Analysis: Karlsson show ignites attack

When Karlsson's loan signing was announced late in the summer transfer window, it was met with serious surprise. The Sweden winger cost Serie A side Bologna almost £10m just a few years ago.

He's still only 27 and was scoring barrel-loads of goals for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie as recently as 2022.

It had not quite happened for him so far at Aberdeen, but he was a level above every other player on the pitch in this victory, his own team-mates included.

Buzzing around like an energetic wasp, Karlsson had seven shots - no player has had more in a Premiership game this season.

He also attempted nine crosses - the highest of any Aberdeen player - and completed six successful dribbles, a 100% record.

All that tells you that he was an absolute nightmare for the Dundee defence, who could not cope with his quality.

Aberdeen's attacking stats compared to Dundee

Dundee struggled to recover from the first goal. They had little spells in the second half, but the game was dead by then and any goal would have been a consolation.

Congreve was the brightest spark, but the two key players making much-needed returns - Simon Murray and Yan Dhanda - looked rusty and didn't have the kind of connection that boss Steven Pressley needed.

Too often, Dhanda was isolated or picked the wrong option and the lack of confidence Dundee side displayed at the start of the season crept back in after Aberdeen's fast start.

What they said

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "I'm so pleased with the performance. The players put in so much hard work in training, and in other games, and didn't get the results or goals.

"We saw some signs against Shakhtar on Thursday night, and also the connection between the fans and the team growing. The energy was back.

"Today, we started the game really well and the connection with the fans was there. They saw the players' effort. That's how we grow stronger."

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley: "A really disappointing afternoon. It wasn't for a lack of effort, they ran hard and worked extremely hard out of possession.

"At times, the gaps between us were enormous and Aberdeen exploited that. Ultimately, as manager, I'm responsible for that."

What's next for both teams?

Aberdeen visit St Mirren when the league resumes on Saturday, 18 October (15:00 BST), while Dundee host Celtic on the Sunday afternoon (12:00 BST).

Player of the match

Number: 17 J. Karlsson
Average rating 9.41
Number: 17 J. Karlsson
Average Rating: 9.41
Number: 77 E. Gyamfi
Average Rating: 8.67
Number: 16 S. Armstrong
Average Rating: 8.64
Number: 22 J. Milne
Average Rating: 8.44
Number: 2 N. Devlin
Average Rating: 8.32
Number: 7 A. Aouchiche
Average Rating: 8.22
Number: 1 D. Mitov
Average Rating: 7.96
Number: 5 M. Knoester
Average Rating: 7.92
Number: 4 G. Shinnie
Average Rating: 7.75
Number: 28 A. Jensen
Average Rating: 7.64
Number: 27 M. Lazetić
Average Rating: 7.63
Number: 15 K. Nisbet
Average Rating: 7.62
Number: 11 N. Milanović
Average Rating: 7.04
Number: 8 D. Polvara
Average Rating: 6.96
Number: 81 T. Keskinen
Average Rating: 6.74
Number: 6 S. Heltne Nilsen
Average Rating: 6.19

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.