More youthful Leeds magic

The Christmas Number One never stays at the top of the charts until May and the same can happen in the Premiership. The St Stephen's Day leaders have not been there when it matters in the past two seasons but Leeds gave every indication at Elland Road yesterday that they intend to change that recent pattern.

The young pretenders to the crown gave Leicester a goal start and then responded with exhilarating attacking football sharpened by the skills and pace of Michael Bridges, who scored one and made the second for Lee Bowyer, and the gifted Harry Kewell.

They took the lead just before the break and the second 45 minutes was played almost exclusively in the Leicester half with their goalkeeper, Pegguy Arphexad, busy and impressive as the shots and headers rained down.

The day began well for his opposite number, Nigel Martyn, who was named in a team of all time Leeds greats by Allan Clarke. The goalkeeper was the only current player to squeeze in among the Bremners and the Hunters.

But it deteriorated sharply when the match actually started, with Martyn triggering the train of events that led to Leicester going in front in the 10th minute.

The England international was under slight pressure from Gary Kelly's back pass and he returned the compliments of the season with an ill-judged ball that trapped Kelly.

Hemmed in by attackers, Kelly's attempted clearance fell to Stefan Oakes who instantly produced a dangerous delivery that Tony Cottee headed in from 10 yards for his ninth goal of the season.

It was a self-inflicted wound but Kewell had already hit the bar, in the seventh minute, and the Australian set up Bridges in the 29th minute, firing a low cross from the right after getting away with an illegal challenge on Gerry Taggart.

Bridges drilled it in from 15 yards, a composed finish reminiscent of "Sniffer" Clarke - a previous owner of the number eight shirt - for his 13th goal of the season.

Certainly Bridges - and Kewell - have the talent to force their way one day into a Clarke team of Leeds legends, and the former Sunderland striker produced another marvellous moment in the 45th minute.

A long run in possession finished with a diagonal ball of real vision and Bowyer matched it with a flourish, taking one touch before lashing it past Arphexad from just inside the angle of the box.

Then Bowyer powered another volley straight at the goalkeeper seconds later, a prelude to the second half.

Arphexad made six good saves after the interval from Bowyer, Ian Harte, Bridges and Kewell as well as a superb tip over from a fiercely hit Harte free-kick.

Leicester, competitive in the first half, were outrun and out-footballed and Leeds manager David O'Leary paid a rich tribute to his team, eight of whom under 23, as they face their 10th game in 30 days at Highbury tomorrow.

"We played superbly for 90 minutes from one to 11 and should have won by five or six. I go for athletes and think I've got some great athletes here. There was no sign of tiredness," he said.

Leicester manager Martin O'Neill believes Leeds have every reason to think they can win the championship: "They are on a roll, have terrific confidence, look very strong and Kewell is outstanding, a fantastic player. They are deservedly the leaders and have as good a chance as the other two up there of winning it." O'Neill, though, defended striker Emile Heskey, constantly barracked by the crowd after being accused of getting the Leeds captain Lucas Radebe sent off in the Worthington Cup earlier this month.

"Emile did not get Radebe sent off; it was the referee's interpretation. These days Emile stays on his feet. I don't think the crowd affected him today," he insisted yesterday.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Radebe, Woodgate, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, McPhail, Kewell, Bridges, Huckerby (Wilcox 77). Subs Not Used: Mills, Jones, Duberry, Robinson. Booked: Martyn, Bridges, Wilcox. Goals: Bridges 29, Bowyer 45.

Leicester: Arphexad, Elliott, Taggart, Gilchrist (Zagorakis 65), Sinclair, Savage, Izzet, Eadie, Oakes, Cottee, Heskey. Subs Not Used: Gunnlaugsson, Campbell, Thomas, Hodges. Booked: Zagorakis. Goals: Cottee 10.

Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).