THESE are heady days indeed for Aberdeen. Their challenge for the title could yet come unstuck further down the line when injuries mount up or if players move on but, here and now, they deserve to be viewed as serious contenders. Celtic remain favourites to go on to seal a fifth consecutive championship but here was further evidence that Derek McInnes’ side will at least push them all the way.

Tynecastle can often be an intimidating, unsettling venue for opposition teams but Aberdeen rarely looked agitated as they eased their way to an eighth consecutive league victory. They were without a key attacking threat in the suspended Johnny Hayes, while top goalscorer Adam Rooney featured only as a late substitute, but it made little difference to their output. They were three goals up by half-time and, although Hearts put up more of a fight in the second half and scored early on, there was little prospect of Aberdeen capitulating. Any team built on a solid defensive base – both Paul Quinn and Ash Taylor were indomitable - and with real pace and movement in attack will always have a chance, and Aberdeen were hugely impressive. On the back of home wins over Celtic and Hamilton Accies, this rounded off a good week’s work.

Aberdeen’s recent record isn’t great against Hearts – and at Tynecastle, in particular, where they hadn’t won since January 2010 – but they more than atoned for that here. Hearts belatedly showed some life in the second half but by that point the game had already moved beyond them, a clinical, emphatic first-half display from Aberdeen all but securing victory before a disgruntled home support had even sunk their teeth into half-time pies. McInnes’ job now will be to try to keep feet on the ground around Pittodrie although Niall McGinn, a leading candidate for the man of the match accolades, was dismissive of any chatter about title challenges this early in the season.

“It’s a long old season so there’s no point talking about it,” said the Northern Irishman, a request likely to be ignored by an Aberdeen support virtually frothing at the mouth at their team’s start to the season. “If come March or April we’re in a strong position we’ll obviously talk about it then. But if we keep winning these important games that will definitely benefit us in the long run.”

Robbie Neilson, the vanquished Hearts manager, was encouraging to a point. “They know how to win games,” he said of Aberdeen’s championship prospects. “I think they’ve got a chance. It’s a good chance but it’s just a chance at the moment.”

McGinn was a persistent threat to an unconvincing Hearts defence and played a significant role in all of his team’s goals, scoring one and creating the other two. His strike after 23 minutes was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch, the forward fastening on to a long ball wide on the left touchline, making a monkey out of Blazej Augustyn, selling Callum Paterson a dummy with a neat shimmy before curling a shot beyond Neil Alexander and in at the back post.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by that performance,” said McInnes of his star man. “He has been consistently a high performer since he came here. He contributes with so many assists for us - he had the most in the Premiership last season - and if he gets enough opportunities in the game he also has that quality of finish.”

This would prove an afternoon of redemption for David Goodwillie, the much-maligned and under-utilised striker. Often left to play second fiddle behind Rooney, he made the most of a rare starting appearance by scoring twice. McGinn was the creator of both, sweeping in a ninth-minute free kick that Goodwillie headed beyond Alexander who got a hand on it but couldn’t keep it out. Then came Aberdeen’s third, a lightning quick counter attack that concluded with McGinn easing past Miguel Pallardo to cross for Goodwillie who slipped a shot low into the corner.

“It’s important when players do get their opportunities - and David hasn’t been in the starting team for the last two or three games - they come in and make a contribution and he was outstanding,” added McInnes. “He took a lot of kicks and treatment up there but he fought his corner well and should be delighted with his contribution.”

Not so long it was Hearts that people were talking about as potential title contenders but after winning their first five matches they have now lost three on the spin. An Igor Rossi goal early in the second half offered belated promise and, although Paterson struck the crossbar with a free kick, they rarely looked like eating further into Aberdeen’s lead. “We switched off three times in the first half and lost the game, that was it,” was Neilson’s honest assessment. “End of story really.”

HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Alexander; Paterson, Augustyn, Ozturk, Rossi; Buaben (King 84), Pallardo; Reilly (Nicholson 46), Walker, Juanma; Sow

Booked: Pallardo 42, Juanma 52

Scorers: Rossi 52

ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Ward; Logan, Taylor, Quinn, Considine; Jack, Shinnie; Pawlett (Rooney 64), McLean, McGinn (McLaughlin 90); Goodwillie (Parker 84)

Booked: Ward 46

Scorers: Goodwillie 9, McGinn 23, Quinn 81

Referee: Bobby Madden