Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen revolution showed no sign of stopping as they beat Rangers to leave them nine points behind in the Scottish Premiership title race.
There were pre-match fireworks and the game lived up to the hype for the Dons as Nicky Devlin slammed in the opener after they piled on some early pressure.
Graeme Shinnie struck the post and Jamie McGrath’s tame penalty was saved before the break as Aberdeen continued to dominate.
Rangers did pull level after the break with Nedim Bajrami’s brilliant solo effort leaving ‘keeper Dimitar Mitov with no chance.
But Aberdeen refused to give up and substitute Shayden Morris fired in on the rebound to move Thelin’s men nine points clear of Clement’s side after just 10 games.
Rangers’ crisis deepens as Aberdeen stake title claim
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Nicky Devlin scores against Rangers for Aberdeen in their SPFL clash
The Ibrox club is in turmoil with no permanent chairman, chief executive or director of football while on Tuesday it was revealed they made a net loss of £17.2m last season. Now their title hopes look to be over.
Clement was dealt another injury blow with winger Vaclav Cerny, who had scored five goals in four games, out through injury, replaced by Ross McCausland with skipper James Tavernier, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Cyriel Dessers returning.
Thelin’s only change was the return of captain Graeme Shinnie, who took over from Ante Palaversa and, after a dramatic pre-match firework display, frantic football followed from referee John Beaton’s first whistle.
Gers striker Dessers had an early chance but his shot was blocked by Devlin.
At the other end, McGrath had a goal-bound drive blocked by Tavernier before Devlin drove just wide from the edge of the box and then McGrath curled a free-kick from 25 yards past Butland’s post.
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Jamie McGrath misses a penalty for Aberdeen in the SPFL derby against Rangers
An Aberdeen goal was in the post and it came when Topi Keskinen flicked on a cross from left-back Jack McKenzie to Devlin who had time and space to hammer the ball high past Butland.
The home side swarmed around the Rangers box and Shinnie crashed a shot off the post and then there was a VAR check when Souttar appeared to block a Keskinen shot with his arm.
Beaton checked his pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot but Butland guessed right to save McGrath’s unconvincing spot-kick.
Butland made another save from McKenzie’s long-range effort and in a rare Rangers attack just before the break, McCausland tapped in a Bajrami pass from a yard out but was ruled offside.
Dujon Sterling replaced the Northern Ireland winger for the start of the second half and the visitors at last began to play with some pace and purpose.
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Nedim Bajrami equalises for Rangers with a fantastic strike against Aberdeen in their SPFL clash
The visitors were well on top when Bejrami created a goal for himself, taking a Lawrence pass and with Devlin, Shinnie and Slobodan Rubezic in close attention inside the box, he drove past keeper Dimitar Mitov and in at the far post.
The Govan side had the initiative and Lawrence and Dessers failed to capitalise on a cut-back from Tavernier following yet another attack but the Dons regained the lead after Butland had saved a powerful drive from substitute Palaversa.
Rangers could not get out of their own penalty area and when Devlin’s toe-poke from a tight angle went through Butland’s legs and hit the far post, Morris, on for Duk in the 54th minute, hammered in the loose ball.
A frustrated Clement picked up a yellow card in the final five minutes for remonstrating at a decision against his team, who once again in a big game this season, fell short.
Clement: One of our better performances
Defiant Rangers manager Philippe Clement on Sky Sports:
“It’s hugely disappointing to lose, but this could be a game that you draw or, on a good day when things fall your side, that you win.
“We score a goal, one toe, or a toenail offside. Those moments are not on our side.
“I think this is one of our better performances until now, this season, with the new squad.
“All credit to Aberdeen also, the way they played. They are there, where they deserve to be.
“We are working hard to make things better on our side. I think this was one of the better performances of several players, and several new players and we need to build further on that.
“It’s not that Aberdeen blew us away today. We want to win and we need to get better to make up those nine points.
“We were attacking, we wanted it but Aberdeen wanted it also and they took it.”
