Highlighted: Ajax's revival sparks title fever in Amsterdam
Ajax has officially taken control of the Eredivisie top spot as of last weekend. The Amsterdam club was already leading based on having the fewest dropped points, but their commanding 4-0 victory over Heracles Almelo, combined with another slip-up by PSV (a 2-2 draw against FC Utrecht), has put them at the top of the standings. A win against Go Ahead Eagles could extend their lead over PSV from two to five points. Will Ajax pull further away from their closest challenger?
Ajax's resurgence and PSV’s poor run of form have reignited title fever in Amsterdam. After the disastrous 2023/24 season, a championship seemed almost impossible—especially when Ajax found themselves nine points behind league leaders PSV earlier this season.
But Ajax is in unstoppable form: the team has won its last seven league matches and is on the verge of an eighth consecutive Eredivisie victory for the first time since late 2019. A win against Go Ahead Eagles would also see Ajax surpass last season’s total points tally (56) with 57 points already.
Still, caution is warranted: the last three Eredivisie encounters between Ajax and Go Ahead Eagles all ended in draws.
From weakness to strength
A rock-solid defense has been a key factor in Ajax’s resurgence. While their backline was leaky last season, the organization is now rock-solid. This season, Ajax has kept a clean sheet in half of their matches, recording 11 shutouts—at least two more than any other Eredivisie team. Since the 2000/01 season, Ajax has only managed a better clean-sheet-per-game ratio three times than their current average (0.50 per match).
| Season | Clean sheets per match |
|---|---|
|
2021/'22 |
0.65 per match |
|
2009/'10 |
0.59 per match |
|
2015/'16 |
0.56 per match |
|
2024/'25 |
0.50 per match |
|
2020/'21 |
0.47 per match |
Edvardsen in the spotlight against former club
For winter signing Oliver Edvardsen, the clash with Go Ahead Eagles will be extra special. The Norwegian forward spent the last two and a half years in Deventer and now faces his former club in Ajax colors. He also has a chance to make history: if he scores, he will become only the fourth player ever to score both for and against Go Ahead Eagles in the same season—following in the footsteps of Cees van Kooten (1982/83), Harry Decheiver (1994/95), and Erik Tammer (1995/96).
Edvardsen has already shown he feels at home in Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena, scoring a spectacular goal against Heracles Almelo. On Sunday, he could become just the third foreign player this century to score in his first two home matches for Ajax, after Luis Suárez (2007) and Kolbeinn Sigthórsson (2011).
However, his impressive home streak actually began in Deventer. Since September, Edvardsen has been directly involved in a goal in every home Eredivisie match (8 goals, 3 assists). The last time he failed to register a goal or assist? September 21—against none other than his new employer, Ajax.
Can he make the difference again on Sunday, this time against his former club?
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