PSV have strengthened their position as leading contenders for the Eredivisie title after returning to the top of the table, but ESPN analysts Karim El Ahmadi and Kenneth Perez believe Peter Bosz's side must maintain their current standards if they are to stay ahead of their rivals.

PSV's 5-2 victory over Cambuur last weekend, combined with dropped points for Feyenoord and Ajax, allowed the Eindhoven club to reclaim first place. Their performance in Leeuwarden also impressed El Ahmadi, who believes PSV are currently setting the standard in the title race.

Speaking on ESPN's Dit Was Het Weekend, the former midfielder described Bosz's team as the clear favourites if they can reproduce the same level of intensity and attacking variety every week.

El Ahmadi was particularly impressed by PSV's aggressive start against Cambuur, comparing it to their earlier performance against Feyenoord. He suggested that news of Feyenoord's defeat may have provided an additional boost, but stressed that PSV's attitude throughout the match was what stood out.

"I really enjoyed PSV. It was a bit of the same kind of game as against Feyenoord. I think it also had something to do with the fact that they had just heard that Feyenoord had lost. But this PSV… It will really be down to themselves if they start losing matches," he said.

The analyst highlighted the team's willingness to keep pressing and attacking regardless of the scoreline.

"If they put this on the table every week... From minute one they were all over it. Constantly there was a PSV player in between. It didn't matter whether it was 0-2 or 0-3; they just kept going. This PSV is a towering title favourite, if I see them playing like this," El Ahmadi added.

Perez was more cautious about declaring PSV overwhelming favourites, although he acknowledged that Bosz's side currently possess several important advantages over their competitors.

The Danish analyst believes Feyenoord must rediscover the intensity they showed earlier in the season. He also identified PSV's tactical variety as a significant strength.

"Either Feyenoord has to get back to the intensity they had three, four weeks ago. If you don't have depth in your game, you become too predictable. PSV really has a lot of depth in their play. You see that they are the ones with the most intensity, the most running capacity, and the most depth," Perez explained, as quoted by PSV Inside.

Despite PSV's domestic form, Perez remains frustrated by their recent Champions League defeat to Club Brugge. He believes the loss was particularly disappointing given the quality of the opposition and the opportunities PSV had to perform better.

"That's why I'm also annoyed that you lose midweek to a Belgian opponent," he said.

El Ahmadi, however, felt PSV deserved more from the match but pointed to their defensive problems as a major reason for the defeat.

"You can't earn it if you have such a makeshift defence. That can't. You make yourself so vulnerable," he argued.

The former midfielder did see signs of improvement against Cambuur, particularly in the way PSV's attacking players contributed defensively. He noted that Bosz had repeatedly instructed Filip Kostic to remain in position, while players such as Ruben van Bommel, Sven Mijnans and Guus Til were also working harder to track back.

That improvement offers encouragement for Bosz as PSV look to maintain their position at the summit. El Ahmadi's message was clear: the title race may depend less on what their rivals do and more on whether PSV can continue performing at their current level.