PSV Eindhoven hit four second-half goals against Sparta to maintain their two-point lead at the head of the Eredivisie, while AZ Alkmaar added to Ajax’s woes with a 2-1 win in Amsterdam.

PSV struggled to break down a stubborn Sparta side in the first half and lost striker Noa Lang when he pulled up with a hamstring injury in the 35th minute.

Malik Tillmann broke the deadline with a measured shot in the 51st minute before Johan Bakayoko found the top corner with a curler to double the score eight minutes later.

Yorbe Vertessen and Luuk de Jong, tucking away the rebound after his penalty was saved, added late goals to preserve PSV’s 100% record.

AZ piled on the agony in Amsterdam as Vangelis Pavlidis plundered his 10th goal of the season before Dani de Wit rounded off a well-worked move in the 57th minute. Branco van den Boomen’s deflected shot gave Ajax hope but it was their only shot on goal all game.

The result leaves Ajax in 16th place after six matches, although they still have to finish their match against RKC and play a postponed match against Volendam, two other teams in the bottom four.

Steijn: I’m staying

Coach Maurice Steijn dismissed suggestions that his days at the club were numbered. “These are hard times, but I’m still incredibly happy with this great club and these people and I’m going to keep giving everything 24/7 every day to turn things around,” he said.

Twente continued their good start with a comfortable 3-0 win at Fortuna Sittard, with Manfred Ugalde opening the scoring after 15 minutes and Ricky van Wolfswinkel bagging his fourth goal of the season after coming on as a late substitute.

Champions Feyenoord stay fourth after winning 2-0 at PEC Zwolle. Santiago Gímenez tapped into an empty net in the 21st minute after goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar horribly misjudged a bouncing ball.

The Mexican was left unmarked to smash in a second shortly after half-time to stay ahead of Pavlidis at the top of the goalscoring charts with 12.

Almere win again

Almere City followed up their maiden victory in the Eredivisie last weekend with a first home win, as Thomas Robinet’s 32nd-minute strike proved the difference against RKC.

Excelsior stay fifth following a goalless draw at Vitesse Arnhem, while Go Ahead Eagles drew level with them on points after a 4-0 demolition of Heracles. Victor Edvardsen scored the pick of the goals in the 18th minute when he made space in a crowded penalty area to control the ball before rifling it into the top of the net.

Heerenveen ended a run of five straight defeats with a 1-1 draw against NEC, who equalised on the stroke of half-time through Bas Dost after Patrik Walemark had given Heerenveen an early lead.

At the bottom of the table a goal by Robert Mühren was enough to earn Volendam a 1-0 win over Utrecht and lift his team above their opponents into 17th place.

Results

Friday

Volendam 1-0 Utrecht

Saturday

Almere City 1-0 RKC Waalwijk

Go Ahead Eagles 4-0 Heracles Almelo

Vitesse Arnhem 0-0 Excelsior

Sunday

Ajax 1-2 AZ Alkmaar

Fortuna Sittard 0-3 Twente Enschede

PEC Zwolle 0-2 Feyenoord

Sparta Rotterdam 0-4 PSV Eindhoven