PSV may have slipped to third place in the Eredivisie after their 1-1 draw with Feyenoord, but there is still confidence that Peter Bosz’s side can recover and challenge for the title.

ESPN analyst Bram van Polen continues to back the reigning champions, while club legends Willy and René van de Kerkhof remain convinced that the standings will look different by the end of the calendar year.

After ten league matches, PSV sit four points behind leaders Feyenoord and one point adrift of second-placed Ajax. Their latest setback came on Sunday, when they were unable to turn a strong first-half performance into a victory at the Philips Stadion.

Guus Til put PSV ahead on merit, but Anis Hadj Moussa equalised after the break to earn Feyenoord a point. The result extended PSV’s inconsistent start to the campaign, although Van Polen believes they remain the strongest contenders for the championship.

Asked who he considers the leading title candidates, Van Polen took a moment to consider his answer before reaffirming his faith in PSV.

“Uh... At the start of the season I told PSV and I still stick with that for a little while longer,” the ESPN analyst said.

The former defender pointed to the depth of Bosz’s squad as a major reason for his confidence. While Feyenoord have impressed this season, Van Polen believes PSV are better equipped to cope with injuries and absences across the campaign.

“They have such a broad and good squad. At Feyenoord you still find yourself thinking, for example, that if something happens to Valente, Read, Hadj Moussa or Zechiël. Then I still have to see that. PSV can absorb that a bit better,” he explained, as quoted by PSV Inside.

Van Polen’s assessment suggests that PSV’s current position may not tell the full story of their title prospects, particularly if their squad depth begins to make a difference over the coming months.

The Van de Kerkhof brothers also reflected on PSV’s draw in the Willy & René PSV Podcast, broadcast by Omroep Brabant. However, they disagreed over who was responsible for Feyenoord’s equaliser.

Willy criticised goalkeeper Matej Kovar, arguing that Hadj Moussa’s trademark move should have been anticipated.

“So he hasn't done his homework. Hadj Moussa always does the same thing; he comes in and the defender has to cover the short corner. If the goalkeeper pays attention to the other corner, then he can just grab him,” Willy said.

René, however, placed the responsibility on PSV’s defenders, believing they should have forced the Feyenoord winger into a less dangerous position.

“They should have forced him to go around the other way, but that didn’t happen,” he responded.

Neither brother believes there is yet a reason to panic about PSV’s place in the table. Willy acknowledged that the team are not where they should be, but expects them to climb back to the summit before the end of the year.

“We are not standing where we should be, but I'm not worried about that yet. At the end of the calendar year, we'll be back on top again,” he said.

René was similarly optimistic, predicting that both Feyenoord and Ajax would drop points as the season progresses.

“Feyenoord will really drop points soon, and so will Ajax. Then we will climb back up,” he added.

The brothers did, however, question Bosz’s decision to use Ruben van Bommel as a centre-forward against Feyenoord. Willy believes the experiment should end, arguing that the youngster is better suited to his natural position on the left wing.

René offered an alternative, saying he would have preferred Ivan Perišić through the middle, with Van Bommel operating on the left. Despite their tactical reservations, both brothers acknowledged that PSV had played a very good match.

For PSV, the challenge now is to turn encouraging performances into victories. Bosz’s side remain within reach of the top of the table, but closing the gap will require greater consistency in the weeks ahead.