David Villa's hot streak front of goal continued with two goals from Valencia returned to the top of the Spanish first division after a 4-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
Valencia, Champions League in 2002 and 2004, knocked Villarreal at the summit on goal difference as they continued their unbeaten start to the season under new coach Unai Emery.
"We received about the problems of last season (when finished 10th) and today we showed what we can," said Emery.
Good to be superior, but what we are concerned with consistency and growing as a team. We do not know our limits because it is early in the season. "
Sevilla moved up to fourth place, two points behind Valencia, with a 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday night.
A 21-minute free kick from Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, who scored 1924 goals last season, won the match for the visitors.
"Atletico are a magnificent team that clearly enjoys going, but the difficulties we had today is because of these qualities of Sevilla," said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez.
"They had problems because of pressure exerted, not let them move the ball around as they can and our defense was solid."
tletico defeated Sevilla home and away last season before stealing fourth place and a Champions League with them so it was pay back for Sevilla.
Fall Atletico, Javier Aguirre, the seventh and the need to clear our heads in the fourth match at home Champions League against Marseille.
"We tried and tried every way we can," said Aguirre. "It's difficult after you have had, because they could sit and play on the counterattack."
While Atletico failed to come from a goal down
Valencia showed great flexibility to overcome Deportivo after an own goal from Italian defender Emiliano Moretti just 11 minutes saw them fall behind.
Home team responded with Juan Mata leveling and Spanish star Villa put them ahead four minutes from time.
Winger Joaquin made before 03.01 Villa has a tap-in, and he is now top of the goal scoring charts with six goals in just five games showing why
Real Madrid tried so hard to sign him this summer.
Portuguese side CS Maritimo are Valencia next opponent Thursday in the UEFA Cup with the Spaniards taking advantage of the first leg 1-0.
While Emery had a good start in life with Valencia - four wins and a draw in the first five matches - Racing Santander new manager Juan Ramón Muniz is finding it difficult to walk.
Muniz watched his side lost 2-1 at home to Real Mallorca on Sunday, diving club among the final three without a win to their name.
"We lost because of mistakes that did not make because of a referee," raged Muniz.
Cameroonian striker Pierre webOS scored four minutes from time to sink Racing who had initially taken the lead by Ivan Marcano before Fernando Varela equalized for the visitors.
It was a sweet win for Mallorca, which lost the last UEFA Cup place to Racing on the final day of last season and they go ninth while Racing is in second last with two points from possible 15
Last season in Marcelino Garcia Racing were vying for a spot in the Champions League before the sixth to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time in club history.
But Marcelino left the club and Muniz is struggling to take its place still waiting for their first win in charge.
Newcomers Malaga, who Muniz led to promotion last season, played his first win of the campaign with a 2-1 Valladolid on Sunday.
After four games without finding the net Manuel Lolo Malaga marked the season's first goal on 33 minutes and the second and decisive came on 54 minutes through Adrian Lopez.
Elsewhere Almeria sit sixth in table with Argentine Alvaro Negredo scoring the winning goal five minutes into the time of arrest of nine men Recreativo Huelva.