Amsterdam, Netherlands – Defending champions Ajax moved to the top of the Eredivisie table on Sunday after coasting to a 6-0 win at home over Heracles.
The result, combined with AZ Alkmaar's 2-2 draw at Vitesse, leaves the Amsterdam side one point clear of AZ with six games remaining.
It took Ajax 25 minutes to open the scoring as Theo Janssen tallied the lone goal of the first half, while the home side poured it on after the break.
Lorenzo Ebicilio doubled the lead less than three minutes into the second half, and Christian Eriksen made it 3-0 five minutes later.
Vurnon Anita was next to put his name on the scoresheet, with Siem De Jong and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson each adding another goal in the final 20 minutes.
AZ relinquished the league lead despite taking a 1-0 advantage after 32 minutes through Jozy Altidore.
Vitesse equalized three minutes later courtesy of Guram Kashia and Marco van Ginkel made it 2-1 to the home side in the opening minute of the second half.
Simon Poulsen leveled the contest just before the hour mark, but a red card to Brett Holman of AZ with 27 minutes to play hampered the visitors chances of grabbing a winner.
Sunday's other matches saw NEC down De Graafschap, 2-0, with goals from Lasse Schone and Genero Zeefuik, while Den Haag remains four points clear of the relegation places after losing 1-0 at RKC Waalwijk on a first-half goal from Krisztian Nemeth.