Aberdeen went into the World Cup break sitting in third spot of the Scottish Premiership after a positive start to the campaign.
The Dons also have a Hampden semi-final against rivals Rangers to look forward to in January.
But who have been the star performers for Jim Goodwin’s side so far in the 2022-23 campaign?
The Great Disruptor
Bojan Miovski and Duk may have grabbed the majority of headlines so far this season, but another summer signing has also made an encouraging start to life at Pittodrie.
Ylber Ramadani has quickly emerged as a fan favourite of the Red Army and the statistics, provided by Opta, highlight the work the defensive midfielder is doing to thwart opposition attacks.
The Albania international has won more tackles (20) and made more interceptions (25) than any Dons player this season.
On-loan Liverpool midfielder Leighton Clarkson is in second spot for tackles won with 14, which is perhaps surprising for a player who is better known for his attacking attributes.
The Creative Spark
It is no shock, however, to see Clarkson leading the way when it comes to chances created this term on 15 – one more than Jayden Richardson.
Clarkson has four goals in 14 appearances for the Dons since making the move from Anfield and made an instant impact with some stunning strikes from long range.
The 21-year-old’s stats could have been even stronger had he not received a two-game ban by the Scottish FA for a challenge on Ross County defender Callum Johnson.
Jonny Hayes is also enjoying a fruitful campaign with an impressive 10 assists in 14 games this season. The 35-year-old is joint third for chances created on 13 and has produced the most crossess so far with 57.
Ross McCrorie, who has been deployed in the centre of midfield and in defence this season, has created the most dribbles with 16.
The Lethal Finisher
Bojan Miovski has been the goalscoring hero for Aberdeen so far this season with 12 goals in 18 games.
The North Macedonian international has had almost twice as many shots on target this season compared to his nearest competitors, with 23 efforts in comparison to the 12 registered by Luis “Duk” Lopes.
Miovski’s importance to the Dons has also been underlined by his high xG (expected goals) score.
Duk has started only seven of Aberdeen’s 15 games this season, but has had more touches in the opposition box than any other Dons player.
It seems highly likely the Cape Verde will enjoy more time on the pitch during the second part of the season.
The Defensive Rock
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has found more consistency and solidity in the defence since switching from four at the back to three.
At the heart of the defence has been Anthony Stewart, who has made a whopping 116 clearances this season – more than the combined total of his defensive partners Liam Scales (52) and Ross McCrorie (44).
On-loan Celtic defender Scales has won the most aerial duels with 52 – eight more than Dons captain Stewart.
The Dons return to action with the visit of leaders Celtic to Pittodrie on December 17.
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