Aberdeen

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• Aberdeen are unbeaten in five league games against Livingston (W3 D2), and are looking to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches against them for the first time since December 2021 (three in a row).

• Livingston have lost their past four league visits to Aberdeen by an aggregate score of 13-2 since a 2-1 victory in April 2022.

• Aberdeen have lost their past seven matches in the Scottish Premiership, conceding 17 goals and scoring just two. They last had a longer losing run in the league with a stretch of 10 between May and September 1999.

• Livingston have lost their past two matches in the Scottish Premiership, and could lose three on the bounce in the competition for the first time since January 2024.

• Livingston are currently on a 19-match winless run away from home in the top flight (D4 L15), which is the longest ongoing run without a victory on the road of any of the 12 current teams in the competition.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin should finally confirm on Friday his thinking behind omitting 20-year-old on-loan Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Alfie Dorrington from his Conference League squad. (Press & Journal), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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A sibling rivalry subplot is set to add "a bit of spice" to Aberdeen's tussle with Livingston on Saturday.

The Pittodrie showdown could be a rare occasion of two sets of brothers playing against each other in the same match, with Livi's Tete Yengi and Andrew Shinnie and Dons pair Kusini Yengi and Graeme Shinnie all in contention for involvement.

"I wonder if that's happened previously, two sets of brothers playing against each other," said Livi manager Martindale.

"It just adds a wee bit of spice to the game, and probably adds a wee bit of banter with the Yengis and the Shinnies.

"Especially Shinnie's mum and dad, I think they try and get to a lot of the games and sometimes it's [a choice between] Andrew or Graeme, so they've not got a decision to make this week, they're going to go along to the game.

"Tete's a little bit different because his parents are in Australia but, yeah, it brings a different dynamic and probably a bit of banter through the households."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Jimmy Thelin's first season at Aberdeen was marked by an incredible start - 13 straight wins during a 16-game unbeaten run - and a glorious end, as they upset Celtic at Hampden to lift the Scottish Cup.

The bit in the middle, though, was far gloomier, as the start of this season has been.

The last 10 months in the league have been characterised by the concession of sloppy goals combined with a lack of spark in the final third.

Only now-relegated Ross County and St Johnstone have scored fewer goals than Aberdeen in the Premiership since the start of the last campaign, discounting Falkirk and Livingston, who have played three top-flight games in that time.

Unsurprisingly then, the Dons also rank very low for conversion rate and the number of big chances they score.

That lack of a killer touch has been compounded by the fact they are also down the Premiership rankings when it comes to expected goals and crosses. They just do not test opposition defences enough and, when they do, they waste opportunities.

Meanwhile in defence, only Dundee and Kilmarnock have conceded more goals. None of these grim statistics are greatly surprising when a team has won five of 30 league games.

Read more: Why next five games are critical

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He delivered the Scottish Cup to Pittodrie last season, but is Jimmy Thelin now under pressure after just five wins in the past 30 league games?

Aberdeen, currently bottom of the table without a point, attempt to spark a revival and halt a run of seven straight Premiership defeats when they host Livingston on Saturday.

Former Hearts and Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson believes the Dons are ready to "get on a run" of wins.

"They'll be disappointed with the start of the season, but when you actually look at the fixtures they had, first two games, Hearts away and Celtic at home, were very difficult," Neilson told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"Then they had the European games which are always very difficult. The last league match against Falkirk was a big blow but you're looking at two home games coming up now, two really important ones against Livingston in the league and Motherwell in the cup.

"Massive games but with the investment they've brought in over the summer and especially the closing days of the window, three top players, I would expect Aberdeen now to get on a run and start pushing themselves up the league where they should be into that top six and then pushing from there."

Cammy Bell, meanwhile, says Thelin needs wins to ease the increasing "scrutiny" on the Swede.

"Listen, they just need to start winning games," Bell said. "It will breed confidence within the group but also ease the pressure because there is scrutiny on Thelin.

"I don't think the severe pressure's coming, but the longer it goes on without a win in the league, then the pressure starts to build."

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Jesper Karlsson says a reunion with Jimmy Thelin was a "big factor" in his eye-catching loan switch to Aberdeen as the Sweden winger attempts to make his career "fly" again.

The 27-year-old has toiled to make his mark in Serie A with Bologna since a big-money move from AZ Alkmaar two years ago.

Karlsson, a deadline-day arrival at Pittodrie, previously had a two-year stint playing under current Dons manager Thelin at Elfsborg.

"I have a good relationship with Jimmy since I played in Sweden, so this was a good choice for me," Karlsson told Red TV.

"He was a big factor in me coming here. I was young when he came in [at Elfsborg], but I remember well his way of treating players. Very professional, but also very good on the human side.

"He made my career fly a bit when it was the same situation that I didn't play. Then he was a little bit hard on me and then I started to play.

"We had good times together in Sweden and we have kept in contact also when I was in Holland and Italy."

Karlsson, who has 14 Sweden caps, spent the second half of last season on loan at Lecce after making just 15 appearances in his first 18 months at Bologna, where he learned about the Dons from former midfield favourite Lewis Ferguson.

"It has been a period in Italy where I have not been playing so much with consistency, but I talked to the other sports directors [at Aberdeen] and I got a very nice and warm feeling," he said.

"They want me here and that was important for me in my situation. So I feel like it was a win-win situation for both of us.

"Of course I spoke to him [Ferguson] about Aberdeen. Even before this transfer window, when I saw the Scottish Cup win, and he knows that I know Jimmy, sometimes we joke about it.

"He is such an Aberdeen fan also. Every time Aberdeen won he was happy, but when it was one [bad] streak last season he was not too happy!"

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The season is a month old, but Jimmy Thelin will view this weekend's visit of Livingston as a fresh start.

Aberdeen's busy 24 hours around the transfer deadline has changed the mood among the supporters, who have watched their team lose their three league openers for the first time since 2001.

The late arrivals of Kevin Nisbet, Jesper Karlsson and Stuart Armstrong have given the fans belief their campaign will finally take off after a disappointing August.

The fact is those three are going to be regular starters assuming they will be fit, although perhaps not on Saturday. Of the three, Nisbet is the only one that has seen minutes on the pitch having been used by Millwall this season.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the likes of Topi Keskinen, Kusini Yengi and Leighton Clarkson given those new arrivals.

Another two new signings at left-back, Mitchel Frame and Emmanuel Gyamfi, will come into the reckoning following the former's signing from Celtic and the latter's return to fitness.

New signings or not, this is a massive game for Thelin as Livi come to town.

David Martindale takes his team north off the back of three successive defeats, including their late loss to Hearts last time out, so it is an important match for the Lions too.

He too had a busy transfer window with his squad packed with experienced SPFL players as they continue to find their feet upon their return to the top flight. And they will have watched Falkirk pick up the three points in the Granite City and feel they can also get the job done.

However, another defeat is unthinkable for the Dons as they chase not only a first win in the league, but a first Premiership goal of the season as well.

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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No points. No goals. Aberdeen prop up the Scottish Premiership after defeats to Hearts, Celtic and Falkirk.

A home game against Livingston on Saturday offers the chance to remedy those sorry figures, but what has been the problem so far?

At the risk of stating the obvious, the expected goals (xG) stats strongly suggest improvements need to be made at both ends of the pitch.

According to Opta, the Dons had an xG for of 2.91 across those three league games, with an xG against of 3.44 when they have shipped five.

Manager Jimmy Thelin has tweaked the starting XI each time in the club's worst opening since 2001, with six players keeping their places each game.

That includes the front three of Topi Keskinen, Kusini Yengi and Nicolas Milanovic.

Wingers Keskinen and Milanovic lead the way with two efforts on target, with centre forward Yengi, who hit the crossbar at Tynecastle, guilty of passing up two of the team's five 'big chances'.

Deadline-day arrivals Kevin Nisbet and Jesper Karlsson are sure to shake up the attack.

Nisbet scored 14 goals during his loan spell last season, while Bologna paid a reported £10m for Sweden international Karlsson in the summer of 2023 after he hit 13 goals and provided eight assists in an injury-interrupted season at AZ Alkmaar.

Marko Lazetic, an eye-catching capture from AC Milan, is another option up front as the 21-year-old approaches full fitness.

Problems at the back might not be so easy to fix, with Aberdeen looking vulnerable at this early stage.

Opta's 'errors leading to goals' column is blank but the Dons defence has been unconvincing, while a first career red card for Nicky Devlin did not help against Falkirk.

Latvia captain Kristers Tobers is included in the Europa League squad, so can't be too far away from a return, and fans will be hoping Mats Knoester can rediscover the kind of bite that earned him player of the match in last term's Scottish Cup final triumph.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the lack of cohesion and conviction stems from the middle of the park.

It's no surprise to see Graeme Shinnie out in front in the 'duels won' category although the skipper may be slightly disappointed with the 61.5% figure.

Leighton Clarkson is miles ahead of his team-mates with 15 balls into the penalty area but will want to improve on his 62% passing accuracy in the final third.

Competition for the link between defence and attack just got stronger with the addition of Stuart Armstrong and the 33-year-old could be a key signing as Thelin juggles his personnel in search of the right formula.

Manchester City and Tottenham are keeping tabs on Aberdeen academy kid Cooper Masson, with the16-year-old currently on loan at Kelty Hearts. (TEAMtalk), external

Hungary U-21 winger Denes Vilmos snubbed a potential £1m move to Aberdeen in favour of a switch to Kortrijk in the Belgium second tier, according to the player's agent. (Daily Record), external

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Aberdeen winger Nicolas Milanovic made his Australia debut in the Socceroos' 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand.

The 23-year-old joined the Dons from Western Sydney Wanderers earlier this summer and has made six appearances for Jimmy Thelin's side in all competitions.

Milanovic came on for the final 15 minutes on Friday, replacing Adjin Hrustic.

Veteran midfielder Stuart Armstrong's move to Aberdeen was 17 years in the making, having come through the ranks at Dyce Boys Club. (Record), external

Midfielder George Hall, 21, turned down Aberdeen and Hibernian before joining Port Vale from Birmingham City. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Jimmy Thelin tells Aberdeen quartet Kenan Bilalovic, Alfie Dorrington, Mitchel Frame and Kjartan Mar Kjartansson, who have been left out of the Dons' Conference League squad, that they still have a big part to play this season. (Record), external

Nineteen-year-old midfielder Kjartansson's time will come, Thelin says. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Former Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris says it felt like "the perfect time" to move on after the "amazing achievement" of winning last season's Scottish Cup.

The English winger, 23, arrived at the Dons from Fleetwood Town in the summer of 2022 and joined English League One side Luton Town on Monday, which was transfer deadline day.

Morris, who scored on his Luton debut against Barnet earlier this week, says this opportunity to head south was one he had to take.

"Last season, winning player of the year and then to finish with the Scottish Cup, it was an amazing achievement for me and I did feel like then it was the perfect time to move on," he explained.

"When I heard about Luton, for me it was the best thing I could have done. I know they want to get back to the Championship. I want to play in the Championship. I found this as the best stepping stone to get back in to the Championship."

And he added: "I see the ambition, it is a great squad with a brilliant manager so this was definitely the best place.

"When I heard they were interested, I actually felt privileged to be wanted by Luton. They are a massive club so I said to my agent straight away, 'this is where I want to be' and we fought hard to make it happen."

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Fletcher Boyd is set to join Aston Villa from Aberdeen "for a significant undisclosed fee", the Dons have announced.

The deal is subject to the outcome of a Fifa minor's application.

Scotland Under-16 international Boyd, 17, made 13 appearances for Aberdeen's first team and scored twice.

"Fletcher is not one we had planned or wanted to sell at this time, but we've had to take this approach based on the circumstances we found ourselves in," said Pittodrie director of football Steven Gunn.

"It was made very clear to us that Fletcher wished to explore this opportunity and that signing any contract extension beyond the less than two years remaining on his current agreement was going to be very unlikely.

"Therefore, we felt that now was the optimal time to trade him to not only maximise our value in the short term, but also to ensure there is significant potential upside for AFC in the future should Fletcher develop the way we all hope he does."

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Kevin Nisbet's reported £300,000 fee is a "snip" that the 28-year-old can repay with goals, says former Rangers, St Mirren, Dundee and Falkirk striker Rory Loy.

Loy still suggests the Dons have not strengthened as much as their rivals have and queries whether Nisbet will get the service he needs.

"Something which seemed quite expensive after a Scottish Cup win may not seem quite as expensive when you've not scored a goal in three league games," said Loy on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"To get somebody up who, I don't want to use the word guarantees because that can never be the case, but with a proven track record in Kevin Nisbet - he'll get goals - for £300,000 is a snip over three years, £100,000 a year.

"If he can return 15 goals a year, then he's paid that back in my opinion.

"I worry for Aberdeen, with the strength of Hibs and Hearts. Celtic are winning the league at a canter in my opinion, and Aberdeen after that are looking at, for me, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts, all finishing above them, because I've not seen enough from Aberdeen and their new signings to suggest that they're going to be challenging.

"They're already three games in, zero points, and they'll be hoping Nisbet can make the difference. Whether he can make that much of a difference, I'm not quite sure, he needs the players around him to help him."

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Aberdeen have submitted a 22-strong squad for their Conference League campaign, with on-loan Tottenham defender Alfie Dorrington not included.

Dorrington, 20, returned for a second spell at Pittodrie this summer after helping the Dons win the Scottish Cup last season.

Fellow recent signings Kenan Bilalovic, Mitchel Frame and Kjartan Mar Kjartansson are also not listed.

New recruits Jesper Karlsson, Marko Lazetic, Kevin Nisbet and Kusini Yengi make up the forward contingent, with midfielder Stuart Armstrong, who joined on transfer deadline day, also included.

Aberdeen open their league phase campaign at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on 2 October, with Jimmy Thelin's scheduled to play four domestic games beforehand.

The Dons will also play AEK Athens, AEK Larnaca, Noah, Strasbourg and Sparta Prague.

Marko Lazetic scored twice in Aberdeen's 4-2 win over Buckie Thistle in the Aberdeenshire Cup semi-final. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Ex-Aberdeen forward Sam Cosgrove, 28, had a health scare concerning his heart during his Pittodrie spell. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Aberdeen striker Ester Sokler has joined FK Radnicki 1923 in the Serbian SuperLiga on a season-long loan.

The 25-year-old Slovenian moved to Pittodrie from NK Radomlje in June 2023 and will be out of contract next summer.

He scored 12 goals in 72 outings for Aberdeen, last hitting the net with a late equaliser as a substitute at home to FCSB.

He started the away leg in Bucharest but was withdrawn at half-time in a 3-0 loss, with the Dons down to 10 men.

Since that Europa League play-off defeat, Kevin Nisbet, Stuart Armstrong and Jesper Karlsson have been signed.

"Ester has been a top professional during our time at the club and always applied himself very well", manager Jimmy Thelin told the club website.

"At this point in his career it is important for him to be playing regularly and the opportunity at FK Radnicki will provide him with valuable experience in a different league and a new environment."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Aberdeen supporters needed a pick-me-up and they got three with the arrivals of internationals Kevin Nisbet, Stuart Armstrong and Jesper Karlsson.

Nisbet's return was a crucial move given the team has looked extremely toothless in the opening weeks of the season. The arrival from Millwall took a while to get going last term but still topped the club's scoring charts with 14 goals when on loan.

Karlsson was a surprising late addition but given his parent club Bologna shelled out a reported fee of almost £10m on him just two years ago, it is a bit of a statement.

Manager Jimmy Thelin's previous relationship with the player at Elfsborg got that one over the line and his arrival could easily ignite their campaign.

And free agent Stuart Armstrong is exactly the sort of player and character the club needed as he returned to a city he was schooled and played boys' club football in.

The Dons needed something to galvanise them after a dreadful start to the campaign. Rock bottom for another fortnight at least thanks to the home defeat by Falkirk, they are a side that don't look like scoring and one that is almost guaranteed to concede.

That's now five wins in their past 30 league games and seven successive Premiership losses. Clearly that goes back into last season, but if they are beaten by Livingston next time out, it will set a new club record for league defeats on the spin.

In fairness, they have been hampered by red cards in the past two matches.

The decision by Norwegian referee Espen Eskas to bow to his Portuguese VAR colleague Tiago Martins and award FCSB a penalty in the Europa League play-off second leg was diabolical.

That was before the second yellow shown to Alexander Jensen delivered a further uppercut to Aberdeen's hopes of reaching the tournament proper for the first time in 18 years.

Even the Romanian broadcasters around us in Bucharest thought it was a terrible decision.

As for Nicky Devlin's red card against Falkirk on Sunday, the follow through is something that referees won't tolerate this season.

It was unintentional but, thanks again to VAR, the Dons skipper for the day was ordered off. It changed the game because it didn't look a match Aberdeen would have lost had they kept 11 players on the park.

The bottom line is the Dons have failed to register a point or score a goal in their three league openers for the first time in 24 years and Thelin will hope his new arrivals can steer the ship back on course, starting against Livingston after the international break.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen's dismal start to the league season - three straight defeats without scoring a goal - had understandably caused consternation among the support.

However, a glittering end to the transfer window changed all that - the mood around Pittodrie was far rosier after Kevin Nisbet signed permanently from Millwall and Sweden winger Jesper Karlsson joined on loan from Bologna.

Stuart Armstrong was the cherry on top of the icing on the cake, returning to the Scottish Premiership after more than seven years away.

The 53-cap Scotland international brings undoubted quality to the Dons midfield, but there are question marks over whether he is ready to start just yet for Jimmy Thelin's side.

The 33-year-old started just six times for Sheffield Wednesday during an injury-disrupted spell in the second half of last season, with five further appearances off the bench, as they finished 12th in the Championship.

That followed a four-month stay with Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS where he scored twice in 11 appearances.

However, if Thelin can get Armstrong up to full fitness and top speed, he has a serious player on his hands.

Between 2010 and 2015, Armstrong scored 21 goals and chipped in with a further 31 assists for Dundee United.

With Celtic, another 53 goal contributions followed between 2015 and 2018, when he moved to Premier League Southampton.

If Thelin can get anything close to that return, combined with the ability of Nisbet and Karlsson, then Aberdeen's season could turn around very quickly.