Tolu Arokodare needed just 142 seconds to head Ajax in front at FC Twente and equal a Patrick Kluivert record that had stood for 32 years — but the Amsterdam club threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 in Enschede and miss the chance to go top of the Eredivisie.
A record-breaking start in Enschede
The Nigeria international rose highest to power home a header from Oscar Gloukh's cross inside three minutes at De Grolsch Veste on Sunday, Ajax's fastest Eredivisie goal since they scored after one minute and 59 seconds against Feyenoord in October 2019. It was Arokodare's seventh league goal of the season, and it carried a slice of history with it.
As reported by The Sun Nigeria, the strike made the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee only the second Ajax player ever to score in six of his first seven Eredivisie starts, matching a feat Kluivert achieved 32 years ago. Telstar, PSV Eindhoven, NEC Nijmegen, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar had already been on the receiving end before Twente joined the list on Sunday.
The numbers behind the start are just as striking. Arokodare now has 13 goals and four assists in 17 appearances in all competitions for Ajax, a run that included his two-goal display at Midtjylland in the UEFA Conference League earlier this month. For a player who arrived on loan, every goal strengthens the case for a permanent move — and Sunday's header was another loud argument.
Twente refuse to fold
Ajax looked to have finished the job in the 66th minute. Substitute Rayane Bounida, on for Davy Klaassen seven minutes earlier, collected Gloukh's second assist of the afternoon and drove a powerful shot from outside the box to make it 2-0.
Twente answered within two minutes. Dies Janse headed a corner into his own net to halve the deficit, and from there the momentum swung entirely to the hosts. The match data on TechnoSports underlines how one-sided the pressure became: Twente had 22 shots to Ajax's six, 55.6 per cent of the ball and nine corners to two, with the expected-goals count reading 2.82 to 0.56 in the home side's favour.
Arokodare was withdrawn for Marcos Leonardo in the 87th minute, and Twente's reward arrived deep in stoppage time. A VAR review spotted Lucas Rosa's challenge on Ramiz Zerrouki inside the box, and Wout Weghorst converted the penalty in the fifth minute of added time to complete the comeback.
So What: Top Spot Slips Away
The draw is expensive. PSV Eindhoven's 5-2 win at Cambuur took them top on 26 points, and Feyenoord's shock defeat at Heerenveen left the door open — but Ajax, who had won five straight matches before Sunday, could only reach 25 points and third place. Twente stay fourth on 24, and a win for Ajax would have taken them above PSV before the international break.
Instead, Ajax head into the pause with a familiar frustration: a striker in record-equalling form, and a lead their defence could not protect. The Eredivisie resumes on 21 November, and the title race at the top — PSV, Feyenoord, Ajax and Twente separated by two points — is suddenly very crowded.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Arokodare is doing everything a loan striker can do — scoring early, scoring often and matching Kluivert. If Ajax keep wasting his goals, the conversation in Amsterdam will not be about whether to sign him permanently, but whether they deserve to. Does Arokodare's record start make his permanent signing a must for Ajax?
