Derek McInnes admitted his side couldn't live with Celtic as they fell to a 3-0 loss at Pittodrie.

A Kieran Tierney strike and a double from Moussa Dembele saw the Glasgow side win the top of the table clash to extend their unbeaten domestic run to 61 games.

The Aberdeen boss, who has established his side as the closest challengers to the champions in recent years, said there was still "a huge gulf" when Celtic are on form.

"It was a tough watch for myself and the supporters," he said.

"It was a tough evening for my players and I felt for them.

"They gave us a lesson. I can still be annoyed at the goals we lost, but they were very good. There's no criticism of my players for the way the game played out or for their effort.

"We want to be as competitive as we can be, but when Celtic play like that there's a huge gulf between them and every other team domestically."

Aberdeen had been unbeaten in the league before Celtic's visit and McInnes said his focus was on returning to winning ways on Saturday.

"We just get back on now," he said. "I won't think about that game.

"When I go to bed it's about Ross County on Saturday and making sure there's no hangover."