Rangers' Michael Beale makes inspired move, what can Aberdeen's Jim Goodwin do to win? Bonkers finale to gripping Pittodrie clash

Scott Arfield leads the celebrations with the Rangers fans after scoring a 97th-minute winner at Pittodrie.

The pain was again real for the Aberdeen fans but for much different reasons compared to Saturday, when they did not even compete against Celtic.

This anguish came in the form of knowing they were minutes away from claiming a famous Premiership victory before two goals in time added on from Rangers substitute Scott Arfield made it two defeats in four days against the Old Firm.

This was an even later dagger in the heart following Callum McGregor’s winner after 87 minutes on Saturday. Aberdeen looked well worth the three points as the clock went into the red with the hosts leading 2-1. But Arfield’s brace, after referee Willie Collum had added on seven minutes, completed an incredible turnaround and means Rangers manager Michael Beale has posted comeback 3-2 victories in his opening matches in charge. Arfield's first goal, seemingly to claim a point, had been hard enough for the home fans to accept.

Arfield pounced on a spilled shot by Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos to equalise in stoppage time.

Arfield tucked in a rebound after Kelle Roos could not hold a Ryan Kent drive five minutes into time added on and then, less than two minutes later, he was in the right place at the right time to force the loose ball into the net following a deflection after Malik Tillman’s cross was headed out weakly by Jayden Richardson. "Football, bloody hell!" seems the appropriate phrase, especially at Pittodrie.

Jim Goodwin is no Alex Ferguson, not yet at least, but at least the current Aberdeen manager sent out a team with the intention of winning a football match. They came so very close to succeeding in that aim.

The hosts had won six of their last seven home matches, and this was set to be the greatest scalp of them all. Goodwin will know it will only raise once more the question, why didn’t he at least try to be a bit more adventurous against Celtic at the weekend? He might well reply that it’s impossible to guarantee victory whatever the tactics, as proved by the ridiculous finale here. There was little rhyme or reason as to why Rangers came away with all three points.

Aberdeen made two changes to the side sent out with the orders to suffocate Celtic on Saturday. Richardson came in at wing-back while Liam Scales, who was ineligible against parent club Celtic, was also restored to the team as one of three centre-backs.

Aberdeen had moved ahead with this strike from Leighton Clarkson.

Although Goodwin felt the criticism post-Celtic had been too vehement, it’s interesting that he did change tack. There was an immediate note of intent posted from kick-off, after the hosts hoofed the ball up field. Pittodrie roared its approval.

Such a positive attitude didn’t have the desired effect at first. Rangers swiftly took command and secured a deserved lead after 12 minutes when Fashion Sakala made the most of a second chance to shoot after his original effort, following good work on the right by Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos, was blocked by Anthony Stewart.

Sakala slammed the rebound through ‘keeper Kelle Roos’s legs.

While rarely having it all their own way, Aberdeen at least explored the opposition half, sometimes to good effect. All this effort looked to have been for little reward, however. Duk hit a post and Yiber Ramadani somehow managed to side-foot wide after Duk’s cross from the left had left him with

James Sands bundled Bojan Miovski over to concede a foul around 25 yards from goal. Luis Lopes, the man known as Duk, produced the kind of stabbed finish Ronaldo used to excel at from distance

It was a wonderful strike up over the wall and beyond the despairing Allan McGregor’s fingertips into the left-hand corner. Beale walked down the touchline knowing he had to find the right words to inspire a second half response, as he had managed last week in the opening match of his reign against Hibs.

Aberdeen, however, deservedly went ahead eight minutes after the break. They had started the second half by far the brighter side. The 15-minute break following the equaliser had only seemed to increase their appetite for the fray and they scored a second goal that was just as easy on the eye as the first. It was reliant on a mistake by Connor Goldson that could be easily put down to some rustiness on the part of the returning Rangers centre half.

He failed to cut out a Scales pass towards Duk on the edge of the box and although James Sands did flick the ball away, it went only as far as Clarkson. The on-loan Liverpool midfielder did not need a second invitation to shoot and he rifled the ball into the corner past McGregor from 20 yards.

Beale acted almost immediately by making a quadruple substitution, including Arfield replacing Ryan Jack. It proved inspired.