After being denied a share of the spoils at Easter Road in controversial circumstances, Celtic’s return to winning ways came without too much fuss or debate.

This proved to be a textbook example of how quickly good sides can chew up the opposition and spit them out.

Not quite at their best for the first quarter of this match, all the home side required to spark them into life was one break of the ball.

The moment Daizen Maeda smashed home the ball after 24 minutes to claim his 24th goal of the season, nothing that had happened up until that moment mattered.

Impressively bullish until that stage, Aberdeen went into their shells and began making the kind of elementary errors that made for such a bleak winter.

How Celtic punished them. Jota claimed the second, with Callum McGregor netting the third to kill the contest before the interval. Having struggled in the capital, they got this job done early.

Daizen Maeda fires home his second of the night in added time to complete the rout

McGregor celebrates his goal with Engels and Jota, the latter also getting on the scoresheet

Substitute Yang Hyun-jun climbed off the bench to add some gloss to the scoreline, before Dons’ replacement Shayden Morris claimed a 90th minute consolation. Maeda promptly restored the four-goal cushion in stoppage time as he brought up a quarter of century of goals in this remarkable personal campaign.

While the Dons were the architects of their own downfall, Celtic were utterly ruthless in the game-defining moments. It rendered the second half little more than a training exercise.

Now 16 points clear, the only outstanding question in this title race is when Celtic will cross the line. Who would bet against the champagne corks popping before the split?

Jimmy Thelin will have seen a lot in his time in football, but probably nothing quite like this. His side could easily have been a goal or two ahead early on if they’d shown a little bit more belief in front of goal.

By the time the Swede made his way back up the tunnel at the interval, he must have felt like he’d been mugged.

Oddly, despite the comprehensive final score which ensured Aberdeen’s ambitions of a fourth successive win were convincingly ended, Thelin will take some heart from that impressive opening. It was what followed that will concern him. The Dons simply fell apart after going behind.

Yang came off the bench to turn home a cross and get Celtic’s fourth of the night 

Last October, this was the very fixture which sparked fevered talk of an Aberdeen title challenge.

Thelin’s side showed extraordinary resilience to come back from two goals down that afternoon, yet were soon immersed in a 12-game winless run. Once Celtic got into their stride here, that type of comeback from four months ago was never going to be repeated.

Celtic had spent three days stewing over Alan Muir’s controversial intervention which saw Maeda denied an equaliser against Hibs due to the VAR official deciding the ball had crossed the bye-line before Alistair Johnston wrapped his foot around it.

Although Rodgers’ side had not been at their best post-Munich, they felt hard done by leaving Leith without a point for their efforts. A sense of injustice rarely does a team any harm.

It wasn’t just the Dons’ recent resurgence which saw them arrive in Glasgow’s East End with more than a sliver of hope. Remarkably, not only are they only Premiership side to have taken something at Parkhead this season, they are the only side to have scored there.

Initially at least, Aberdeen played like a side who had found their second wind. Oday Dabbagh, the late hero against Kilmarnock, made his first start. The effortless way the Palestinian interchanged positions with Kevin Nisbet troubled Celtic and asked plenty of questions of Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers in the early stages.

Maeda got Celtic up and running after 24 minutes, netting from close range

Aggressive and ambitious, the Dons denied Celtic time on the ball and scope to get into their normal rhythm.

There was also a structure to Thelin’s side. Compact when they had to be, they allowed their opponents to play in areas of their own choosing. Their passing was sharp, their willingness to take the ball in tight areas allowing them to construct moves.

There was also a real hunger to them. Graeme Shinnie’s meaty tackle on Arne Engels offered further encouragement.

They could easily have been two goals ahead inside the opening period. Dabbagh has looked hesitant when played in by Jeppe Okkels and failed to lift the ball over Kasper Schmeichel. Moments later, Nisbet fired weakly wide from a tight angle when he ought to have worked the Danish keeper.

Although Jota had a low strike saved and McGregor fired one across the bar, Aberdeen were marginally the better side. Just when they were beginning to fancy their chances, Lady Luck shunned them.

Jota fed Engels on the left. The Belgian’s delivery was instinctively hooked into the air by Kristers Tobers. The ball could have gone anywhere. It sat up perfectly for Maeda who volleyed it between Ross Doohan’s outstretched arms and high into the net.

Maeda celebrates his first goal of the night, which was his tenth league strike of the season

After a sluggish start, Celtic were in command. Within six minutes, they all but put the game beyond the visitors.

It stemmed from an Aberdeen attack which broke down. Celtic countered in numbers and with menace. Jota accelerated, put on the brakes and rolled in Engels. The Belgian selflessly squared the ball back to the Portuguese who netted despite a poor connection.

A bizarre first half concluded with Aberdeen feeling like they’d been hit by a juggernaut. Having seen Alexander Jensen fail to clear his lines on the edge of the box, Thelin’s players could only watch on in horror as McGregor flashed the ball across goal with his right foot to find the far corner. Game over.

It was only then a question of how many Celtic would score. Rodgers was able to ring the changes early, with Adam Idah, Yang and Luke McCowan introduced before the hour mark.

McCowan claimed a tidy assist for Yang with 18 minutes remaining, picking a hole in the Dons’ defence. Yang went for placement and power and beat Doohan at his near post.

Morris at least ensured Aberdeen’s efforts were rewarded with a goal when he beat Schmeichel with a low strike, only for Maeda to immediately sweep home Johnston’s cross to claim Celtic’s fifth.