Round-up: N.E.C. stay top, PSV impress and debutants shine in Matchweek 3

N.E.C. kept their spot at the top of the table with a commanding 3-0 win over NAC Breda, taking their goal tally to 12 from three matches — the club’s highest ever after three rounds. With a club-record 4.1 Expected Goals, it was a dominant display once again led by standout performances from Tjaronn Chery (2 goals, 2 assists) and Basar Önal (1 goal, 2 assists).

PSV stayed level on points with a 4-2 win over FC Groningen, marking their third consecutive victory. Esmir Bajraktarevic came off the bench to score twice, becoming the youngest PSV player with a brace since Madueke in 2020 and netting the club’s fastest goal by a substitute since 2010. Ruben van Bommel found the net again, while three players made their Eredivisie debut in the same match — a rare feat for PSV this early in the season.

Ajax controlled their home match against Heracles Almelo and secured another 2-0 win. It marked their third consecutive home victory with that exact scoreline and their sixth straight triumph over Heracles. Steven Berghuis stood out again, registering five shots and four chances created — something he has already done twice in the first three matchweeks.

Sparta Rotterdam impressed in Deventer with a commanding 3-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles. Tobias Lauritsen became the club’s assist record holder in the Eredivisie since 2000, delivering his 17th. Substitute Teo Quintero scored just 90 seconds after coming on, the fastest goal by a Sparta sub in three years.

FC Utrecht kept pace, beating Excelsior 4-1 at home. With eight goals in their first two home matches, the club set a new record. Souffian El Karouani was the standout, providing three assists and now leading the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie in chances created (11). Victor Jensen and David Min found the net again, while 18-year-old Yoon Do-young scored his first Eredivisie goal for the visitors.

Matchweek 3 brought a wave of eye-catching debuts. Bajraktarevic (20) came off the bench to score twice for PSV, while Robin van Cruijsen (19) delivered an assist for FC Volendam. The biggest surprise came from Anthony Descotte, who scored a brace in his Eredivisie debut for Volendam—something only Jan Veerman had done before for the club, back in 1967.

There was also a historic moment for Telstar: Soufiane Hetli netted the club’s first Eredivisie goal since 1978, ending a drought that lasted 17,282 days.

Excelsior, Heracles Almelo and Telstar are still searching for their first win of the season. Excelsior have already conceded eleven goals in three matches, the most ever for the club at this stage of a league campaign. Heracles created just 0.18 Expected Goals against Ajax and suffered their fifth consecutive defeat. Telstar let a two-goal lead slip against Volendam and now sit on one point after three rounds.

After three matchweeks, N.E.C. and PSV remain unbeaten, with Ajax and FC Utrecht just behind. Feyenoord and AZ didn’t play this weekend due to postponed fixtures against Fortuna Sittard and PEC Zwolle, but both are still very much part of the leading pack. At the bottom, the pressure is mounting. With the next round approaching, the gap between the top and bottom could start to widen.