Of all the predictions offered up by pundits and punters alike ahead of the new Premiership season, there was only really one which everyone agreed was a nailed-on certainty.

While nobody had a clue in which order they would finish – and we’re still none the wiser – it was pretty obvious that Celtic, Rangers and Hearts would make up the top three. Any attempt to even debate that apparent fact was met with a scoff here and a raised eyebrow there. What would be the point?

Well, Dundee United might fancy themselves to alter that reality we’ve all seemingly settled for. They are about 90 per cent of the way towards being a team truly capable of doing so.

All that’s missing is someone to stick the ball in the net on a regular basis. That’s it. They’re in tip-top shape everywhere else on the pitch.

Zac Sapsford was a frustrating watch last season. You never quite knew what version of the Australian you were going to get. Still, his tally of nine Premiership goals was decent enough.

If he can make the central striker position his own for the next few months, there’s every reason to suggest he can improve on that significantly.

Zac Sapsford savours the moment after scoring the winner in Dundee United’s 3-2 victory

United skipper Dylan Tait is part of a slick midfield trio that is arguably the best in the country

The way in which the 24-year-old took his two goals – albeit the first one was inexplicably disallowed, and we’ll get to that – in a 3-2 win against Aberdeen  yesterday was top-class.

He didn’t look like a guy with only one Premiership strike to his name in eight previous outings this season. Perhaps he was taking out some of his frustration in response to being dropped for summer signing Idjessi Metsoko in recent weeks, but if that’s the case, he found a pretty effective way to go about it.

The decision by referee David Dickinson to rule out Sapsford’s fine effort shortly after the hour mark was scandalous. The reason? Daniel Bennie affected Dons keeper Marius Muller from an offside position. Nonsense.

You could have had another Muller between the sticks and neither would have stopped it. Add in the fact that the German was in full view of the ball when it was struck, and it made Dickinson’s intervention all the more perplexing.

VAR had no business getting involved in the first place either. A shambles all-round.

At least Sapsford wasn’t too bothered by it all, responding to that setback with a wonderful glancing header after showing terrific movement to steal a yard on Jack Milne at the near post.

A couple of years ago, Sam Dalby hit 15 on the way to Dundee Utd securing European football on their return to the top flight. That’s the target Sapsford should be looking to hit this season. If he can do that, it could be a special season for the men from Tannadice.

United are now up to fourth spot and on a five-game unbeaten run ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Celtic Park, but while the club would be satisfied should they still be in that position come the end of May, going one better shouldn’t be out of the question.

They have a midfield trio who are arguably the best unit in the country at the moment.

Zidane Iqbal is a pleasure to watch. The Iraqi international makes the game look remarkably simple. His deflected effort which opened the scoring here set the tone for another Rolls-Royce display in the engine room.

Captain Dylan Tait claimed two assists and a goal of his own, while Lyall Cameron looked to play forward at every opportunity, even if it didn’t always come off. On this form, the Rangers loanee may even be an outside bet for a Scotland call-up next month.

Between them, they have become a slick unit who complement each other perfectly.

Yes, United conceded a couple of sloppy goals against the Dons, with Nesta Guinness-Walker and Connor Ronan given far too much room to twice level proceedings either side of the break. But manager Jim Goodwin will be a damn sight happier with his defence than he was last term. Chucking in daft goals absolutely killed them, and ultimately cost them a top-six spot.

But Michael Forbes – who required stitches after an unfortunate collision with an advertising board – was once again excellent. As was fellow new recruit Kevin Ciubotaru, who provided an assist for Tait’s strike in the first half.

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson will be frustrated that his team took nothing from the game 

United have been an entertaining watch this season but this was as much about their willingness to do the ugly side of things as anything else.

To be honest, Aberdeen will be wondering how they didn’t take something from this game. Their performance deserved at least a share of the spoils after they dominated the vast majority of this thrilling contest played out in apocalyptic conditions.

Stephen Robinson’s squad was decimated during the week due to a virus which swept through the Pittodrie camp, but you wouldn’t have known it. The players couldn’t have given much more.

That being said, it remains difficult to work out who the Dons are under Robinson. Despite the conditions, they moved the ball around on the deck well for long spells. But there was a glaring lack of creativity to call upon in the final third, and no real pace out wide to speak of either.

Aberdeen have been a brutal watch at times this season. Yet this was an encouraging display in the context of what has gone before. Indeed, they’ll play far worse than this and win games.

However, the table doesn’t lie. To be sitting in ninth spot with ten games in the bank isn’t good enough.