Eredivisie leaders PSV, who started the game with Paul Wanner in midfield instead of Morocco ace Ismael Saibari, got off to a hot start after Dennis Man hit the post in the fifth minute and Wanner put the Eindhoven side up one after eight minutes with his first Eredivisie goal.
American striker Ricardo Pepi, for whom Fulham had a bid rejected this transfer window, doubled PSV's lead in the 23rd minute with a tap-in, but was immediately forced to leave the game after falling awkwardly on his left arm.
Excelsior were shortly reduced to ten men after Lennard Hartjes left the pitch for treatment. During the following corner, centre-half Yarek Gasiorowski scored PSV's third of the evening with his third goal of the season. Defensive partner Ryan Flamingo made it four for PSV, scoring from another corner.
The visitors scored a consolation goal late in the first half via right-back Ilias Bronkhorst, after which Excelsior nearly netted a second when Sergino Dest and Ivan Perisic were close to firing the ball in their own net.
Romanian winger Dennis Man put the final score on the board after being left all alone to dribble through the Excelsior defence and profiting from a costly mistake from goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel.
A 5-1 win handed PSV a 14-point lead ahead of Sunday's Eredivisie games. Excelsior, meanwhile, will stay on 19 points.
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