Atletico close in on Barcelona

David Villa ended his seven-game scoring drought with a double as Atletico Madrid closed to within a point of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 5-0 win over Real Betis.

Eighteen-year-old sensation Oliver Torres got the hosts off the perfect start on his full league debut with the fastest goal this season after just 13 seconds.

Villa then made the game safe with a quickfire brace just after halftime.

La Liga's top-scorer Diego Costa took his tally to 13 goals in 13 games in all competitions when he slotted home from Villa's pass 25 minutes from time before Gabi rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

Torres had been handed a start in place of the injured Arda Turan and the Spanish Under-21 international was in the right place at the right time as he slotted home at the back post from Koke's cut-back.

Diego Godin should have made it two on 16 minutes when he was left in space inside the box but somehow headed Torres' perfect cross wide.

Costa also ought to have scored twice before halftime as he firstly slotted wide when clean through on goal and was then denied by Betis keeper Guillermo Sara who stood up well to turn his effort behind for a corner.

Sara had to be replaced by Stephan Andersen at halftime due to an injury, but the Dane's first job was to pick the ball out of the net as Villa neatly flicked home Costa's cross at the near post eight minutes after the restart.

And three minutes later Villa smashed home his fifth goal of the season after Koke's pass towards Torres deflected fortunately into his path.

Costa finally got the goal he craved when Villa's lovely through ball allowed him to plant a left-footed finish into the far corner.

He was then withdrawn with one eye on the upcoming league matches against Granada and Athletic Bilbao in mind, but Atletico still had one more goal in them when Gabi fired low into the corner with the last kick of the game.

Villarreal strengthened their hold on fourth spot with a 4-1 thrashing of Valencia at the Madrigal.

Early goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Hernan Perez put the hosts 2-0 up at halftime before a Giovanni Dos Santos double completed the rout after the break.

Real Sociedad continued their recovery with a 3-0 win over the still winless Almeria to move up to ninth.

Sevilla also moved into the top half of the table with a 2-1 win over 10-man Osasuna.

Celta up next in Barca firing line

Barcelona can build on their win over Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday by moving nine points clear of Los Blancos when they travel to Celta Vigo on Tuesday.

The Catalans' 2-1 win gave them a healthy six point cushion over Madrid with Atletico Madrid just a point behind in second.

However, despite dropping just two points in their first 10 La Liga games, Barca coach Gerardo Martino refused to concede that his side are already well on their way to retaining their title.

"There is still 60 percent of the league to go and Madrid and Atletico are close. They can still cut the gap.

"Right now it counts for our confidence more than mathematically."

Neymar was the star of the show for Martino's men at the weekend as he scored the opening goal and then teed up Alexis Sanchez to seal the points with delightful chip over Diego Lopez 12 minutes from time.

Lionel Messi's impact on the game though was somewhat restricted by his positioning on the right side of the Barca attack.

The World Player of the Year is expected to return to his normal role as a false nine at Balaidos with Cesc Fabregas dropping back into midfield.

Sanchez is also expected to start after his positive impression as a substitute and with the Catalan derby against Espanyol just three days away, Martino is likely to rotate his side heavily with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique likely to be handed a rest.

Celta enjoyed arguably an even better weekend as they picked up just their second win of the season by hammering Malaga 5-0 away from home on Saturday.

The Galicians are coached by ex-Barca favourite Luis Enrique, who was linked with the Barcelona job when Martino was hastily appointed following Tito Vilanova's unfortunate resignation due to ongoing cancer treatment in July.

And another former Barca man Andreu Fontas believes Celta have nothing to lose against his former club.

"The Malaga game was one we all needed, just as much the team as the fans. This victory boosts our confidence and helps us to believe in what we are doing.

"Now we have to think about the game on Tuesday against Barcelona, they are a very difficult opponent but we have to try and surprise them. We have very little to lose and a lot to gain."

Real Madrid will have the chance to make up some ground on Wednesday when they host Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After a disappointing first-half display at the Camp Nou, Madrid improved mightily after the break and could count themselves unfortunate not to come away with a point as Karim Benzema struck the bar and Cristiano Ronaldo had a strong penalty appeal waved away.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti was encouraged by his side's response after the break and believes it was a sign of their continuing improvement after positive displays against Malaga and Juventus.

"We obviously wanted to win that match, you never like to lose, and it was an important game.

"But we are improving, the Barcelona game showed that again."

Gareth Bale made just his second start in a Madrid jersey at the Camp Nou but was largely ineffective before being subbed by Benzema on the hour mark.

The Welshman is though expected to get his first start at the Bernabeu as he tries to build on his match practice after a series of niggling muscle injuries.

Atletico, meanwhile, have to wait until Thursday until they are back in action as they travel to Granada.

Diego Simeone's men recovered from their first defeat of the season last weekend by smashing struggling Real Betis 5-0 at home on Sunday with La Liga's top-scorer Diego Costa once again on target.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Tuesday

Espanyol v Malaga (1900)

Celta Vigo v Barcelona (2100)

Wednesday

Valladolid v Real Sociedad (1900)

Valencia v Almeria (1900)

Real Madrid v Sevilla (2100)

Osasuna v Rayo Vallecano (2100)

Thursday

Villarreal v Getafe (1900)

Granada v Atletico Madrid (1900)

Real Betis v Levante (2100)

Athletic Bilbao v Elche (2100)

Torres strike sends Chelsea second

Fernando Torres's perseverance was rewarded when his last-minute goal saw Chelsea to a 2-1 win at home to title rivals Manchester City on Sunday that catapulted the London club into second place in the Premier League table.

The match was heading for a draw when, after Willian had helped the ball forward, a mix-up saw City defender Matija Nastasic head the ball past his own keeper, Joe Hart, with the onrushing Torres turning the ball into an empty net.

Torres's winner left Chelsea just two points behind leaders Arsenal and atoned for his dramatic 29th minute miss when, with the match still goalless, he somehow shot over the bar from 10 yards out.

The Spain striker turned provider for Chelsea's 33rd minute opener when his run and cross from the right set up Andre Schurrle, who from a mere four yards out, eased the ball in for his first Chelsea goal.

Torres then almost made it 2-0 when, from some 20 yards wide out on the left, he managed to fire in a shot that clipped the angle of the far post and bar.

Chelsea's failure to make the most of their early dominance was punished four minutes after halftime when Sergio Aguero let fly with a swerving left-foot shot that beat a static Petr Cech at his near post.

"In a game like this against a great team in the last minutes it tastes much better to score," said Torres.

"The chance I missed in the first half I thought I was offside, I should have stayed calm. I made the assist and hit the post so I am happy with my performance."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho added: "Everything happened for Torres after he missed an easy chance. After that, we saw the best Fernando."

City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who was succeeded by Mourinho at Real Madrid, saw his side finish the weekend down in seventh place, four points below Chelsea and six shy of Arsenal.

"In the second half we were in control of the ball, but what happened is what has happened to us in other away defeats," Pellegrini said.

Across London, Tottenham Hotspur moved up into fourth place with a 1-0 victory against Hull at White Hart Lane.

Roberto Soldado scored the only goal of the game, 10 minutes from time, when he converted a penalty awarded after Jan Vertonghen's cross hit the arms of Ahmed Elmohamady.

"It was difficult to break them down," conceded Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas, who said Hull counterpart Steve Bruce would have been "devastated" by what seemed a harsh penalty decision.

Bruce was indeed furious at the penalty award.

"It's a joke decision," he said. "I shouldn't say this and I might get fined, but we would have got it? I'm not so sure."

At the other end of the table, Sunderland climbed off the bottom with a 2-1 home win over arch-rivals Newcastle.

Fabio Borini's blistering 18-yard shot six minutes from time saw the Black Cats to a first league win of the season, following seven defeats and a draw.

Steven Fletcher's fifth-minute header had given them the lead before Newcastle's Mathieu Debuchy equalised.

Victory meant Sunderland manager Gus Poyet had a win in his first game in charge at the Stadium of Light but the result was not good enough to lift his side out of the bottom three.

"This will change our season," said Poyet, who replaced the sacked Paolo di Canio earlier this month.

"I'm sure the players will be even more together and the fans will look forward to the next game. We have done nothing, it was nice for us and the fans but we need to keep winning games."

Sunday's other match saw Swansea and West Ham share the points in a goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium.

Mourinho heaps praise on Torres

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Fernando Torres after the Spain striker made one goal and scored a late winner to earn a 2-1 victory over Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

"He's sharp, he's powerful, he believes in his heart," Mourinho told reporters after his side climbed to second in the table, two points behind leaders Arsenal, the team they meet in the fourth round of the Capital One (League) Cup on Tuesday.

"Since I arrived, since the first day, he has worked very, very hard. Sometimes he was on the bench, sometimes he was not selected, sometimes I left him at home and every day it was the same - so credit to him."

Torres has been in sparkling form of late and also struck twice in the midweek 3-0 victory at Schalke 04 in the Champions League.

A constant menace against City, he created the first goal when he tore past defender Gael Clichy on the right before crossing for German international Andre Schuerrle to execute a simple close range tap-in for his first Chelsea goal in the 33rd minute.

Sergio Aguero equalised with a fierce effort just after halftime but Torres then grabbed his opening Premier League goal of the season in dramatic style when he pounced on a mix-up between defender Matija Nastasic and goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Nastasic, facing his own goal, headed the ball beyond Hart and the Spaniard beat City centre back Martin Demichelis in a sprint before poking it into an empty net in the 90th minute.

Mourinho praised Torres for keeping his head up despite missing an easy chance to score in the first half.

FIZZING SHOT

The Spaniard, who has often struggled since joining Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011, evoked memories of his halcyon days at Anfield when he spun sharply on the edge of the box and curled a fizzing shot against the City woodwork in the opening half.

"It was a fantastic performance by him and even better because there was an easy chance missed and that makes it even more valuable because many times when a striker misses an easy chance he is affected for the rest of the game," said Mourinho.

"That was the moment when he decided he would be the man of the match. The fans were amazing and supported him a lot, they see the way he works for the team."

Mourinho refused to take the credit for Torres's improvement this season.

"We have done nothing with Fernando," said the Chelsea manager. "It would be easy for me to say that but he deserves credit.

"We work with our methodology and we believe it improves players in terms of sharpness and speed.

AVB hits out at Spurs fans

Manager Andre Villas-Boas lamented what he called "negativity" and a lack of support from Tottenham Hotspur fans during the 1-0 win over Hull City at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Spurs secured victory thanks to an 80th-minute goal by Spaniard Roberto Soldado, the third time this season the €30 million buy from Valencia has earned his side all three points from the penalty spot.

Villas-Boas's team lost 3-0 to West Ham United in their previous home Premier League match and the Portuguese said the fans were subdued against Hull.

"We looked like the away team, we played in a difficult atmosphere with almost no support," he told the BBC. "We have a wonderful set of fans but they can do better.

"Away from home we play with no fear and we need that atmosphere at White Hart Lane. We don't need the negativity that was at White Hart Lane today."

Spurs, who moved up to fourth with their sixth league victory of the season, struggled against Hull and the visitors could have snatched a late point when former Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone went close with a free kick.

The hosts were fortunate to be given their match-winning penalty when Jan Vertonghen's cross hit Ahmed Elmohamady's hand from close range.

"It was difficult to break them down. They came here with a good strategy which is nothing different to what other teams do when they come here," said Villas-Boas.

"The difference today is we were patient. I compliment the boys for what they did, it was great work-rate.

"We didn't have the support we should have done. There was much anxiety from the stands, the players had to do it alone," added the Spurs manager.

"The referee could have not given the penalty, sometimes they are not given. Brucey (Hull manager Steve Bruce) will be devastated by that decision."

Spurs and England winger Andros Townsend suffered a nasty fall over the advertising hoardings which led to him needing lengthy treatment before returning to the pitch with bandages on his wrist.

Pellegrini declines Mourinho handshake

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini walked straight down the players' tunnel without shaking hands with counterpart Jose Mourinho after Chelsea snatched a 90th-minute winner on Sunday.

Mourinho celebrated wildly by jumping into the crowd and embracing fans after a defensive mix-up allowed Fernando Torres to secure a 2-1 victory in the Premier League.

"I didn't shake hands. I didn't want to," Pellegrini told reporters at Stamford Bridge after his side suffered their third away league defeat of the season.

Mourinho apologised for his loss of decorum and said he was trying to find his son when he leapt into the crowd.

"If they feel I did something wrong I apologise," said the Portuguese. "This is the drama of the last minute.

"He (Pellegrini) lost the game in the last minute and I have sympathy with that. In other countries and cultures we shake hands before the game and that is it.

"If he was sad because of the result I understand. If he was sad because I did something wrong I accept that too."

Mourinho and Pellegrini have been rivals since the Portuguese replaced the Chilean at Real Madrid in 2010 following a second-place La Liga finish.

"Second place is just the first loser," Mourinho said before a match against Pellegrini's new club Malaga.

"If Madrid were to fire me I wouldn't go to Malaga. I'd go to a top-level team in Italy or England."

The victory moved Chelsea up to second in the table, level on points with Liverpool in third and two points behind leaders Arsenal.

Poyet wants win to be springboard

Gus Poyet challenged Sunderland to build on their first Premier League win for six months as the manager savoured a derby victory over Newcastle United.

The Black Cats climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table by ending a 13-game wait for a three-point haul as they inflicted a 2-1 defeat on their north-east rivals thanks to a stunning late winner from substitute Fabio Borini.

After victory in his first home game in charge saw Sunderland leapfrog Crystal Palace, a delighted Poyet said: "I didn't like looking at the table before, but we're off the bottom now after beating our biggest rivals.

"It's a great feeling but now we need to keep that going and build on it," added the Uruguayan, who took over at the Stadium of Light after controversial former manager Paolo di Canio was sacked earlier this month.

"From now on there are no excuses. We needed a lift and there's no better lift than this result.

"I'm going to sleep very well tonight," said Poyet after Sunday's match. "I feel like I've played the whole 90 minutes. I've chased balls, and appealed for every decision.

"In fact, I was close to running to the corner to celebrate with the lads when Fabio scored, but I thought better of it in the end because I needed to get the message across to the players to concentrate."

Poyet now has 10 wins in 17 games against Newcastle as a player and a coach.

"I'm sure they're going to hate me even more now," the Uruguayan joked.

"I've gone back to basics since coming in. Sometimes if you think too much you can complicate things so we've talked to the players to search for solutions and to remind them how important they are."

Borini fired home a memorable winner with his first goal since joining from Liverpool on a season's loan during the summer.

Poyet revealed the Italian substitute was close to starting the game, and the 22-year-old match-winner said: "I hope this is the turning point for our season.

"We gave everything to come away with the win, and hopefully we'll go on to get a few more victories now. If we can reproduce this kind of form on a regular basis I think we'll be okay. To score a winner in a game like this is unbelievable."

Newcastle looked destined for at least a point after Mathieu Debuchy's first goal since a £5.5 million ($8.9 million) January move from Lille early in the second-half cancelled out Steven Fletcher's early opener for the home side.

But the visitors were left to rue missed chances and defensive frailties caused by the absence through injury of their regular centre-back pairing of Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor.

Newcastle have an immediate chance to bounce back with the midweek League Cup tie at home to Manchester City, and manager Alan Pardew said: "We're left with a feeling of disappointment because having bossed the game for long periods to lose to such a late goal is hard to take.

"We didn't deserve to lose because after we equalised we looked the more likely to go on and win it.

"We'll assess Taylor's hamstring injury and see what timescale we're looking at.

"As far as Coloccini goes, he won't be ready for Manchester City, but hopefully we'll see him against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.