Nilmar struck the only goal as Villarreal beat Sevilla 1-0 at the Madrigal, maintaining their unbeaten home record this season and putting them third with 30 points from 14 matches.

Espanyol are two points behind in fourth after surviving the 52nd minute sending-off of midfielder Raul Baena to beat Sporting Gijon 1-0.

Luis Garcia struck the winner in the 70th minute to maintain the Barcelona-based club's 100 percent record at Cornella-El Prat.

Champions Barcelona are top with 37 points after their 3-0 victory at Osasuna on Saturday, when Real Madrid stayed second with 35 following their 2-0 home victory over Valencia.

Villarreal's neat passing game carved open struggling Sevilla after 30 minutes, when Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi picked out Nilmar's run and the Brazilian rounded Andres Palop to score.

Sevilla had two goals ruled out and home keeper Diego Lopez made a fine late save from Fernando Navarro, but it was not enough and Gregorio Manzano's visitors slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat.

In Barcelona, Espanyol's Baena was shown a harsh second yellow card after 52 minutes, but Mauricio Pochettino's side continued to boss the game.

Their winner came when Pablo Osvaldo dinked a ball over the top for strike partner Garcia to score and Sporting slipped into the bottom three.

Athletic Bilbao defender San Jose had a nightmare Basque derby as his side lost 2-0 at Real Sociedad, conceding a penalty for a handball in the area after 26 minutes.

Xabi Prieto netted from the spot at the second attempt and San Jose buried a shot high into his own net as he looked to cut out a cross.

Getafe beat visiting Real Mallorca 3-0 and Manuel Pellegrini's Malaga returned to winning ways with a 4-1 hammering of Racing Santander.

In London, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion both kept in touch with the Premier League's top six sides Sunday, Sunderland beating West Ham 1-0 and the Baggies defeating Newcastle 3-1.

Jordan Henderson scored his first goal for a year in the 34th minute to lift Sunderland into seventh place and push West Ham back to the bottom of the standings.

West Bromwich Albion climbed to eighth after a goal by Somen Tchoyi and two from Peter Odemwingie secured a first league win over Newcastle in 26 years.

Sunderland trails sixth-place Bolton only on goal difference.

Arsenal moved into first place Saturday with a 2-1 win over Fulham after previous leader Manchester United's game at Blackpool was postponed because of a frozen pitch.

Henderson, who made his England debut last month, was picked as man of the match after he turned in Asamoah Gyan's 34th-minute cross to give his side all three points and end West Ham's recent revival.

Carlton Cole went close to canceling out the lead four minutes after the break and Victor Obinna hit the post 11 minutes from time, but Sunderland manager Steve Bruce saw his side hold out with few real scares.

While Sunderland is in its highest position for a decade, West Ham has not won away from home since the opening day of last season.

The Hammers are tied on 12 points and a minus-13 goal difference with Wolverhampton Wanderers, but trails because it has scored fewer goals.

Tchoyi's first goal at The Hawthorns - and fourth overall this season - gave the Baggies a deserved 32nd-minute lead.

Chris Brunt found Tchoyi in space inside the box and the Cameroonian midfielder cut inside Jose Enrique to curl a left-footed drive past Tim Krul from 15 meters (yards).

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton brought on Peter Lovenkrands at halftime but Odemwingie doubled Albion's lead in the 71st following a slip on the halfway line by Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie. Odemwingie was left with a clear run on goal and he kept his composure to slip a left-foot shot wide of Krul.

Guthrie, who was injured in the fall, was carried off and replaced by Alan Smith.

Odemwingie rounded Krul with a minute left to score before Lovenkrands's injury-time consolation.