With PSV winning Saturday night's match against Almere City (5-0), Ajax knew only a win would let the Amsterdam side keep their 9-point lead with five rounds remaining.
Captain Jordan Henderson, right-back Anton Gaaei, and striker Brian Brobbey all returned to the starting XI for manager Francesco Farioli as his team are looking to get closer to a record-extending 37th title. Ajax are the best-performing side of 2025 and met the worst performers of this calendar year in Willem II, who'd gathered just two points since the turn of the year.
After conceding early last week against NAC Breda, Farioli sent his team onto the pitch with the goal of keeping the foot on the throttle from the first second. It resulted in some early chances for the visitors and a couple of early penalty shouts when Davy Klaassen got floored twice in the opening 30 minutes.
After an apparent handball by Willem II went unpunished, the home side created a rare chance and took a surprising lead when Emilio Kehrer got the ball from Jeremy Bokila and smashed the ball past Matheus in the 41st minute.
Knowing they have a fight on their hands, Ajax dialed up the pressure in the second half, but failed to truly put Willem II's lead in jeopardy - only 20% of Ajax's 44 crosses successfully found a teammate.
Brian Brobbey again failed to make a great impression, prompting Farioli to give Wout Weghorst another 30 minutes as he and Steven Berghuis replaced Brobbey and Bertrand Traore. The Italian gaffer underlined his attacking intentions when Jorrel Hato also came off ten minutes later and was replaced by winger Oliver Edvardsen, handing the more defensive duties on the left side to midfielder Kenneth Taylor.
The changes soon turned the tide for Ajax as Oliver Edvardsen scored the equaliser five minutes after coming on, clinically finishing a Steven Berghuis cross.
Wout Weghorst then handed Ajax their first lead in the 78th minute, calmly slotting the ball past Thomas Didillon-Hodl. The goal was Ajax's 21st scored by a substitute this season, a new Eredivisie record.
A short scare during injury time saw Willem II almost get a penalty when Kian Fitz-Jim and Kehrer got tangled up in the Ajax box, but both referee Marc Nagtegaal and VAR Alex Bos refused to put the ball on the spot.
After 29 shots, 11 corners, and 69 touches inside the opposition's box, Ajax sealed the deal and grabbed their 23rd win of the season. The Amsterdam side keep hold of their 9-point lead at the top of the league as Willem II fail to win an Eredivisie game yet again.
View all the match statistics on Flashscore.
