Dutch title contenders enjoy emphatic wins

AZ Alkmaar and Ajax both posted convincing wins today to stay in touch with Dutch League leaders PSV Eindhoven.

AZ drubbed visitors Excelsior 5-0 with Shota Arveladze and Danny Koevermans bagging two goals each and Simon Cziommer also getting on the scoresheet.

It put Louis van Gaal’s side five points adrift of PSV but the Alkmaar club are in a class of their own in terms of goalscoring with 48 in 15 matches so far - next best are PSV with 41.

Ajax ended their recent slump with a 6-0 thrashing of Willem II to consolidate their hold on third place, six points behind Ronald Koeman’s defending champions.

Zdenek Grygera started the rout before Urby Emanuelson made it 2-0 after 10 minutes.

Nicolae Mitea weighed in with a third before Klaas Jan Huntelaar added two more to make it 5-0 at the break.

Tom de Mul added another with 12 minutes to play and the team from Tilburg, who had Jose Valencia sent off, are still winless in Amsterdam after 33 visits.

Feyenoord went third with a thrilling 4-3 win over Heerenveen.

Afonso Alves put Heerenveen in front but two goals from Stein Huysegems and a Theo Lucius penalty made it 3-1 to Erwin Koeman’s side.

Two goals from Rob Friend levelled things up but Jonathan De Guzman struck a late winner.

Groningen’s bad spell continued with a 3-0 defeat at Utrecht for whom Sander Keller opened the scoring before Cedric van der Gun netted twice.