Substitute Peter Ambrose scored a late goal as rampant Aberdeen eked out a 1-0 win over Dundee United to move three points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
Jimmy Thelin’s side looked set to be frustrated by their stubborn visitors on a tense evening at a packed Pittodrie.
But Nigerian forward Ambrose sparked jubilant scenes as he notched the only goal of the game in the 84th minute, just two minutes after entering the fray.
The victory maintained the Dons’ stunning 15-game unbeaten run under Jimmy Thelin – 14 of which have been victories – and ensured they stole a march on Celtic, who visit Motherwell on Sunday. They are now nine points clear of third-place Rangers, who head to Pittodrie on Wednesday.
There were three changes to the Dons side that started the 2-2 draw at Celtic Park the previous weekend as Ante Palaversa, Duk and Esther Sokler replaced Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson and the injured Kevin Nisbet.
United boss Jim Goodwin – a former Aberdeen manager – made one alteration to the side that kicked off the dramatic 3-2 victory over Hibernian as Kristijan Trapanovski came in for Miller Thomson.
There was a sense of anticipation among the home support ahead of kick-off in the Granite City, but the Dons were largely stifled early on by a well-organised United side, happy to drop deep in numbers, close off space and hit on the counter-attack.
The hosts’ first notable opportunity came in the 24th minute when Topi Keskinen latched on to a long diagonal pass from Jack MacKenzie and looked to be clean through but Kevin Holt got back to make a vital tackle on the edge of the box before the Finn could pull the trigger.
Despite enjoying the majority of the possession, the Dons’ only attempt of the first half came in the 33rd minute when Palaversa rifled a low shot just wide from 25 yards out after Declan Gallagher cleared a MacKenzie cross into his path.
United looked dangerous on the sporadic occasions they ventured forward and Sam Dalby and Luca Stephenson both headed over the bar before the interval.
Having seen his side fail to score in the first half of a home league game for the first time this season, Thelin sent on Shayden Morris for Keskinen at the start of the second period and within a minute of the restart the substitute burst down the right and fizzed a low delivery across the six-yard box that found no takers.
The Dons threatened again when MacKenzie surged into the box and cut the ball back for Jamie McGrath, whose low shot was diverted behind by Jack Walton.
The United keeper made another big save when he pushed Morris’s angled shot wide after the winger had played an incisive one-two with Sokler to get himself free in the box.
Aberdeen thought they had gone ahead in the 70th minute when Sokler headed a Morris cross towards goal but Walton dived superbly down to his right to claw it out.
Just as it looked like the Dons were going to be frustrated, however, Ambrose forced the ball in from six yards out after Gavin Molloy’s cross had been knocked back into the danger area by Nicky Devlin at the back post.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
