Ajax's 5-1 trouncing of bottom-of-the-table Zwolle took them up to second in Eredivisie standings as they and PSV Eindhoven trimmed Feyenoord's lead to two points.
PSV won 3-1 away to Excelsior, but AZ Alkmaar were unable to also keep the pressure on the leaders - succumbing to a late equaliser at home to Go Ahead Eagles.
Ajax overcame the shock of going 1-0 down at home in only the fourth minute, when Wout Brama struck for lowly Zwolle, to be in front at the break.
Defender Davinson Sanchez then weighed in with his first two goals of the campaign, levelling in the eighth minute and then making it 2-1 half-an-hour later.
In four second-half minutes, forwards Kasper Dolberg (55) and Bertrand Traore (59) doubled Ajax's tally. Dolberg's second then made it 5-1 just after the hour.
For PSV, striker Luciano Narsingh was on the scoresheet for the first time this season to put them 1-0 up in the 21st minute - and although Luigi Bruins levelled from the penalty spot, Luuk de Jong restored Eindhoven's lead in first-half injury time.
Narsingh was in the action again seven minutes from time, this time putting Davy Propper in for the third goal.
AZ let slip a two-goal lead provided by striker Wout Weghorst.
He was on target either side of half-time, initially from the penalty spot after a foul by Lars Lambooij.
Sander Duits reduced the arrears soon after the hour for Go Ahead Eagles, and then Sam Hendriks rescued a point for the visitors three minutes from time.
Heerenveen moved above AZ with a 3-0 win at Den Haag, where a first-half own-goal from Wilfried Kanon set the visitors on their way.
They made sure when Arber Zeneli (79) and striker Henk Veerman (88) also scored.
Heracles stayed one place above Groningen in mid-table after eking out a 0-0 draw at the Noordlease Stadion.
Source: PA-WIRE
