Utrecht inflicted AZ’s first defeat of the season and drew level on points with their second-placed rivals as they came from behind to win in Alkmaar.

The home side dominated the early stages and went ahead in the 24th minute when Troy Parrott tapped in after Sven Mijnans had taken advantage of a defensive mix-up.

But Utrecht equalised eight minutes later when summer signing Yoann Cathline cut in from the left and found the far corner. And 10 minutes after half-time Paxten Aaronson, who came on at the interval, produced a precise finish to take all three points.

League leaders PSV made it seven wins out of seven so far this season, but Peter Bosz’s side had to work hard to break down Brabant neighbours Willem II.

Ricardo Pepi scored two second-half goals while standing in for Luuk de Jong, one of several players rested ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon. But midfielder Joey Veerman’s fitness is in doubt after he went down with a groin injury midway through the second half.

FC Twente followed up their impressive 1-1 draw at Manchester United in midweek with a narrow victory over NAC. The match was deadlocked until NAC’s Leo Greiml upended Youri Regeer in the penalty area, and Ricky van Wolfswinkel converted the resulting penalty.

Ihattaren returns

Ajax moved up to fifth place, despite having played just five matches, with a 2-0 win at bottom club RKC, who are still looking for their first league point.

Late goals by Bertrand Traoré, firing in a rebound after Jeroen Houwen had tipped Davy Klaassen’s shot onto the post, and Mika Godts with a low curled finish earned Francesco Farioli’s side the points.

But the talking point was the entry after 78 minutes of former PSV prodigy Mo Ihattaren, making his first Eredivisie appearance in more than three years.

Feyenoord rescued a point and avoided a first defeat of the season at NEC when goalkeeper Robin Roefs spilled a cross at the feet of Jordan Latombo in the 88th minute.

NEC had taken the lead against the run of play in the first half, when Sontje Hansen shoved defender Thomas Beelen off the ball and beat Timon Wellenreuther at the near post.

Go Ahead Eagles overtook Groningen to move into eighth place with a 1-0 win at the Euroborg, as Oliver Edvardsen tapped in a rebound in the 75th minute after both sides had had goals disallowed for offside.

Relegation clash

PEC Zwolle came out on top in an early relegation six-pointer against Almere, after James Lawrence turned a cross into his own net in the 78th minute.

Sparta took an early lead against Fortuna Sittard when Teo Quintero headed in from a free-kick in the third minute, but Ezequiel Bullaude rounded off a flowing move in the 31st minute to claim a point for the Limburgers.

In the Friday evening game, a late blunder by goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart condemned Heerenveen to defeat at Heracles as Mario Engels’s shot slipped through his hands.

Dimitris Rallis, making his Heerenveen debut at 19, had equalised with a stunning strike in the 59th minute after Damon Mirani gave Heracles the lead in the first half.

Results

Friday

Heracles Almelo 2-1 Heerenveen

Saturday

NEC Nijmegen 1-1 Feyenoord

Sparta Rotterdam 1-1 Fortuna Sittard

Willem II Tilburg 0-2 PSV

Sunday

AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Utrecht

Groningen 0-1 Go Ahead Eagles

PEC Zwolle 1-0 Almere City

RKC Waalwijk 0-2 Ajax

Twente Enschede 1-0 NAC Breda