Atletico Madrid tops this week's Associated Press global football poll after beating city rival Real 1-0, with scorer Diego Costa winning the player rankings.
Costa, who received 191 votes from the 26-man panel of global football journalists, also scored twice in Atletico's 2-1 victory against Osasuna earlier in the week.
"Diego Costa is the symbol of an Atletico Madrid that is becoming a real contender in La Liga," Alejandro Cisternas of El Mercurio, Chile, said. "He is filling the space left by Falcao with goals and personality."
Diego Simeone's team is unbeaten in seven league matches in La Liga and is second to Barcelona on goal difference, and five points ahead of Real Madrid.
"Beating Real Madrid in the last Copa del Rey final seems to have put Atletico back as a powerhouse in Spain," said Ubiratan Leal of trivela.com in Brazil. "The Colchoneros don't have the talent and the money to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona in 38 league matches, but already have the confidence and determination to face the big two in an isolated match."
A 5-0 thrashing of Bologna propelled Roma into second in the team rankings on 183, 13 more than Borussia Dortmund, which also won 5-0 at home against Freiburg.
Ivory Coast striker Gervinho scored twice for Roma in the victory and is third in the player rankings, while two goals each for Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus means the duo finish fourth and fifth respectively.
"Gervinho has blossomed under Rudi Garcia once again, and the Ivorian looks to have truly reinvented himself under a more believing manager," Sam Tighe of The Bleacher Report said. "He scored two in Roma's 5-0 demolition of Bologna, while the ageless Francesco Totti provided two beautiful assists."
Gervinho's former club Arsenal is the Premier League leader after a 2-1 away victory against Europa League side Swansea.
Midfield player Aaron Ramsey continued his fantastic form in front of goal, scoring the winner for Arsene Wenger's side. The result puts Arsenal in fourth position in the team vote on 143, while Ramsey, who scored his eighth goal in as many games this season in the fixture, is tied in sixth with Napoli's Goran Pandev after receiving 89 votes.
Luis Suarez finished second in the player poll, 50 points behind Costa, after scoring twice on his return to the Liverpool team following a 10-match ban.
His side was a 3-1 winner over Sunderland, which is bottom of the Premier League and now managerless after the sacking of Paolo Di Canio, and Suarez's strike partnership with Daniel Sturridge certainly impressed at The Stadium of Light.
The 24-year-old Sturridge scored the other goal in Liverpool's win and is 10th in the player vote, with Liverpool eighth in the team poll.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, there were upsets for both Manchester sides as United lost 2-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion while City twice squandered a one-goal lead away at Aston Villa, eventually losing 3-2.
West Brom makes it into the top 10 of the team poll, the aggressive nature of its display against David Moyes' side taking it to seventh place and particularly impressing the panel:
"West Brom took the game to Manchester United and got their reward with two great goals and a first win at Old Trafford in 35 years," Paris-based Irish football writer Mark Rodden said.
Morgan Amalfitano, on loan at West Brom from French club Marseille, is eighth on 49 points in the player vote, one ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, after scoring the opening goal in his side's win.
"He scored the best goal and made the best assist in the Premier League at the weekend - at Old Trafford," Axel Torres of Marca Radio said.
Third-placed Serie A side Juventus is ninth in the team vote with 54 points after it beat Torino 1-0 away in the Turin derby, courtesy of a second-half goal from Paul Pogba, formerly of Manchester United.
Three votes behind Juventus is Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich, which managed a 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg to keep pace with Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund.
Thomas Mueller's goal for Bayern means both sides have won six and drawn one, with Dortmund top of the league on goal difference.
AP Global Football rankings (ending Oct. 1)
Players:
1.Diego Costa, 191 points.
2.Luis Suarez, 141.
3.Gervinho, 130.
4.Robert Lewandowski, 109.
5.Marco Reus, 93.
6.Aaron Ramsey, Goran Pandev, 89 (tie).
8.Morgan Amalfitano, 49.
9.Lionel Messi, 48.
10.Daniel Sturridge, 46.
Clubs:
1.Atletico Madrid, 238.
2.Roma, 183.
3.Borussia Dortmund, 170.
4.Arsenal, 143.
5.Barcelona, 130.
6.Napoli, 68.
7.West Bromwich Albion, 66.
8.Liverpool, 59.
9.Juventus, 54.
10.Bayern Munich, 51.