Draw sends Leeds top

Chelsea's Mario Melchiot tackles Ian Harte of Leeds

Leeds United 0-0 Chelsea
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Leeds United went back to the top of the Premiership table, despite being held to a goalless draw at home by Chelsea.

After nine games, David O'Leary's side lead Arsenal by a single point.

Chelsea once again displayed an impressive defensive cohesiveness as Claudio Ranieri's side secured their eighth away point of the season.

The result means that both Leeds and Chelsea remain the only unbeaten teams in the Premiership.

I thought the tackle was disgraceful

Leeds manager David O'Leary

The last 10 meetings between these two sides have produced 66 bookings and four dismissals and this latest encounter also included its fair share of bookings as well as a sending off.

The twist to the dismissal was that it was David O'Leary.

The Leeds manager was sent off at half-time after he had harangued the officials over Graeme Le Saux's two-footed lunge on Danny Mills.

Referee Paul Durkin deemed Le Saux's challenge worthy only a yellow card.

Leeds had the greater share of chances in the game, but midway through the second-half Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had a great opportunity to seal the game for Chelsea.

The Dutchman, released by Eidur Gudjohnsen's intelligent reverse pass, hit a low close-range shot that Nigel Martyn did ever so well to keep out.

Leeds' best chances in the game fell to Mark Viduka.

Viduka and Terry tangle in a full-blooded game

Just before the half-hour the Australian flashed a snap-shot over the Chelsea bar.

Soon after, Viduka looked to have scored, but his delicate lob was athletically cleared by William Gallas on the goal-line.

Then, in the 40th minute the Leeds striker lifted his shot over the bar.

Midway through the second-half Viduka's powerful header was well saved by Mark Bosnich.

Chelsea had made the brighter start in the opening period.

A seventh-minute Gudjohnsen cross skimmed the head of Hasselbaink, but Le Saux was unable to connect at the far post.

We are improving, I'm very happy with our start - but we will have other examinations

Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri

Gudjohnsen himself ghosted through the Leeds defence just before the interval but his final shot was weakly struck.

Ranieri had included Emmanuel Petit, Le Saux, Gudjohnsen and Gallas in his starting line-up.

Those four players, along with Albert Ferrer, had missed Chelsea's Uefa Cup game against Hapoel Tel Aviv because of fears over their safety.

Ferrer was on the bench while Marcel Desailly, who also did not travel to Israel, was still missing with an Achilles injury.

Late in the game Chelsea's John Terry also had to clear off the line from an Alan Smith shot.

Chelsea broke quickly to the other end and, in stoppage time, a Petit free-kick was pushed onto the bar by Martyn.

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Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Dacourt, Kewell, Keane, Viduka. Subs: Robinson, Kelly, Woodgate, Smith, Johnson.

Chelsea: Bosnich, Babayaro, Terry, Melchiot, Le Saux, Gallas, Lampard, Petit, Dalla Bona, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen.

Subs: Evans, Zenden, Ferrer, Zola, Forssell.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset)

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