LONDON — Arsenal went to the top of the English Premier League table after a 3-1 victory at home to Stoke Sunday. In the late match, Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City thrashed Manchester United 4-1. Aguero volleyed City ahead after 16 minutes and made it 3-0 in the opening minute of the second half after Yaya Toure had put the home side in command on the stroke of halftime. United's defense was sliced wide open again when Samir Nasri volleyed home after 50 minutes and manager David Moyes' first Manchester derby descended into a nightmare. Wayne Rooney's curling free kick was the only ray of sunshine for champion United which has now lost four of the last five league derbies with City which climbed to second in the table with 10 points, two behind leader Arsenal. United is in eighth place with seven points from five matches. Elsewhere Paulinho scored his first EPL goal in stoppage time Sunday as Tottenham broke through Cardiff's resistance to win 1-0. The victory ensured Tottenham finished the weekend level at the top of the Premier League with Arsenal but behind its north London rival on goal difference. Earlier Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey made it seven goals in eight games when he gave Arsenal a fifth-minute lead at the Emirates Stadium with a close-range strike after Potters goalkeeper Asmir Begovic had palmed away a Mesut Ozil free-kick. Stoke, however, was back on level terms when US international Geoff Cameron scored his first goal for the club in the 26th minute with a controlled shot from the edge of the box after Marko Arnautovic's volley had come back off the post. Arsenal though was 2-1 up before half-time through center-back Per Mertesacker's looping header. Bacary Sagna then scored his first goal in 19 months as Arsenal again made Stoke pay for failing to defend a set-piece when he headed home in the 72nd minute from another free-kick by Ozil. In Sunday's other early kick-off match, Swansea won 2-0 away to Crystal Palace. Roma beats Lazio AS Roma ended a five-match winless run against arch-rival Lazio with a 2-0 win Sunday which maintained its 100 percent record after four games in Serie A. Federico Balzaretti and Adem Ljajic, from a penalty, scored for Roma while Lazio, last beaten by its neighbor in March 2011, had substitute Andre Dias sent off only three minutes after coming onto the pitch. Spaniard Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for Juventus to give the titleholder a 2-1 win over Verona. Giuseppe Rossi continued his scoring run with the second goal in Fiorentina's 2-0 win at Atalanta which left it on 10 points, level with Juventus and Inter Milan who won 7-0 at Sassuolo. Barca's possession streak ends Spanish champion Barcelona had less possession than its opponents for the first time in over five years Saturday during its 4-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. Despite its significant advantage in the scoreline, the Catalans enjoyed just 45 percent of the ball ending an incredible 316 match streak dating back to its 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in May 2008. Atletico got its fifth win in as many rounds to lie level on points with Barcelona after a 2-0 victory at Valladolid. Real Sociedad was held by Malaga to 0-0 at home, while Levante rallied to 2-2 at 10-man Almeria. — Agencies
