Juan Mata gets in on the scoring action [AFP]

Luis Fabiano scored to give Sevilla a 1-0 victory at Atletico Madrid to boost the Andalucian club into third on 11 points ahead of Almeria, who beat Recreativo Huelva 1-0 on Sunday to join FC Barcelona with 10 points.

The day's other matches saw Malaga beat Valladolid 2-1, Racing Santander lose 2-1 at home to Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao go down to a single goal from Getafe and Numancia draw 0-0 with Osasuna.

Moretti blunder

Depor took an early lead when Valencia defender Emiliano Moretti failed to clear a centre from Pablo Alvarez and put the ball in his own net.

Juan Mata came close to levelling with a powerful right-footer which keeper Daniel Aranzubia failed to cover, but the ball went just over the bar.

Mata was on target in the 35th minute, however, when he headed home inside the far post after Depor defender Albert Lopo's awkward goalmouth clearance.

Valencia went ahead just after the break as a neat pass by Mata found Villa, who turned two markers inside the area to beat Aranzubia from close range.

Joaquin made it 3-1 on 69 minutes by running in to receive a goalmouth cross from Mata and beat Renan from close range.

Villa bagged his second of the match and sixth of the season in the 82nd by slotting home a Mata cross, taking the Spain striker top of the scoring league with six goals from five matches.

Angel Lafita snatched a consolation goal for the visitors with five minutes to go.

Home comforts

Emery gives instructions against Depor [AFP]

"We've gotten over the problems of the last campaign and what is important is to worry about ourselves and from this point on show prudence and the conviction that we belong here," Emery said.

Valencia have 13 points from five games, with Villarreal second on goal difference after they defeated newly promoted Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

Reigning champions Real Madrid lie third in La Liga after grabbing a 2-1 away win over Real Betis on Saturday.

Atletico scoreless

Sergio Aguero could have given Atletico a third-minute lead against Sevilla at the Vicente Calderon stadium but the Argentina striker missed a header from in front of the open goal.

Sevilla's Fabiano, who saw a seventh-minute goal disallowed because of a questionable offside call, made no mistake in the 21st.

The Brazil striker curled a right-footed free kick over the defensive wall inside the near post beyond the outstretched Gregory Coupet.

Atletico's injury worries before their Champions League match against Marseille on Wednesday appeared to amplify in the 60th minute when Ever Banega was substituted after taking a knock to his ankle.

Recre and Valladolid succumb

At the Juegos Mediterraneos stadium, Alvaro Negredo scored the winner for Almeria five minutes into injury time after Recreativo had been reduced to nine men following the sending off of Jesus Vazquez and Oliveira in the closing stages.

Sisinio Gonzalez was then ejected for dissent following Negredo's fourth goal of the season.

At La Rosaleda stadium, Manuel 'Lolo' Ortiz slotted a low shot home through a crowd in the 34th minute for Malaga's first goal of the season after 394 minutes played.

Adrian Lopez ensured promoted Malaga's first victory of the season when the substitute poked Eliseu's cross-goal pass under Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Pedro Leon sidefooted in Haris Medunjanin's rebound at the near post in the 65th, but Valladolid could not equalise.

Racing into the lead

Marcano's goal wasn't enough for Racing Santander [AFP]

But Fernando Varela equalised with Mallorca's first shot of the match in the waning moments of the first half.

His left-footed strike moved around goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez to go in off the bottom of the far post.

Achille Webo's diving header in the 86th won it for Mallorca to keep Racing winless.

Javier Casquero scored with a swerving blast from 30 metres out and only three minutes to play at San Mames to give Getafe their second win of the season away to Athletic Bilbao.