Francesco Totti spearheaded Roma's win at Inter Milan, sending both to the top of this week's Associated Press soccer football poll.
The 37-year-old Totti received 51 votes more than last week's winner, second-placed Diego Costa of Atletico Madrid, from the 20-member panel of global soccer journalists on Tuesday.
''`The Roman Emperor' rules again,'' said Soren Mikael Hansen, editor of Politik in Denmark. ''At 37 Francesco Totti showed a world-class performance.''
Roma, unbeaten in seven Serie A games, finished four points ahead of last week's winner of the team poll, Atletico. It's the fourth straight poll that one club has achieved the team and player double.
Similarly to Roma in Serie A, Atletico is unbeaten in La Liga, thanks mainly to the sensational goal scoring of Diego Costa, who has earned a call-up for Spain as a result of 10 goals this season. Costa scored twice, and missed a penalty kick, in a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo last weekend as Atletico kept pace with Barcelona, also unbeaten.
''No wonder Barcelona are top of La Liga, but the way Atletico Madrid are keeping their rhythm is amazing,'' said Aurelio Capaldi of RAI Sport in Italy. ''They're the only teams capable of winning every game both in La Liga and the Champions League.''
Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj is third in the player poll, after a two-goal debut in a win over the English Premier League's last-place club, Sunderland. The 18-year-old Januzaj has been turning down overtures from Belgium.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Paris Saint-Germain and Neymar of Barcelona rounded out the top five.
Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich finished third after a 3-1 away win over Manchester City in the Champions League before drawing 1-1 at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Axel Torres of Marca Radio in Spain suggested that Bayern's display against City was ''maybe the best performance of the season.''
Cristiano Ronaldo was seventh in the player poll after scoring a late winner in Real Madrid's 3-2 win against Levante, and twice in a 4-0 defeat of FC Copenhagen. Midfielder Franck Ribery, who scored against City, is ninth in the player rankings.
Madrid was ninth in the team list, a point behind West Ham, which stunned Tottenham 3-0.
''The best team performance of the weekend came from West Ham,'' said Sam Tighe of Bleacher Report in the United States.
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AP Global Soccer rankings to Oct. 8
Players:
1. Francesco Totti, 136 points.
2. Diego Costa, 85.
3. Adnan Januzaj, 81.
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 68.
5. Neymar, 53.
6. Alexis Sanchez, 48.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo, 45.
8. Pierre-Michel Lasogga, 43.
9. Franck Ribery, 40.
10. Mesut Ozil, 36.
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Teams:
1. Roma, 124.
2. Atletico Madrid, 120.
3. Bayern Munich, 118.
4. Barcelona, 103.
5. Paris Saint-Germain, 97.
6. Chelsea, 60.
7. Arsenal, 50.
8. West Ham, 39.
9. Real Madrid, 38.
10. Juventus, 32.
