CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Arsenal v Leeds 26/10/96 3.00

Arsenal                 (2) 3 Leeds                   (0) 0 FT
Dixon 1                       
Bergkamp 5                    
Wright 56

George Graham was a sad, dejected figure on the touchline as his former Arsenal side climbed back to the top of the Premiership with a runaway victory against his new club Leeds United at Highbury.

Graham returned to a warm reception from the fans who still idolise him after he won six major trophies in eight years for the Gunners before being dismissed in February last year over the infamous ``bung'' episode which landed him with a one year ban from the game.

But Graham got an even hotter welcome from Lee Dixon and Dennis Bergkamp who both scored in the first five minutes to virtually end the contest almost as soon as it started.

Leeds went from bad to worse and Ian Wright added a third goal, his 12th of the season, 11 minutes after the break following brilliant work by Bergkamp who exploited another slack moment in the Leeds defence.

United have now lost five of the six league games since Graham took charge and this latest performance neatly underlined his own words and proved he has a great deal of work to do before the Elland Road club can start to climb the table.

Arsenal's new French midfielder Patrick Vieira started the rot for Leeds this time after only 44 seconds.

He carried the ball menacingly from halfway and could have shot for goal himself after side stepping Paul Beesley's challenge, but instead laid on an opening for Dixon to blast past goal keeper Nigel Martyn from 15 yards.

Before Graham or Leeds could catch their breath Arsenal had a second goal when Lucas Radebe's failure to clear a long ball up the line allowed Bergkamp to squeeze his shot past the stranded Martyn. And there was no way back for Leeds after that.

They also suffered four more bookings while Arsenal ran rings around them with a sharp, aggressive performance in which Vieira was the star turn, winning the ball in midfield and setting up attacks with perfect passing.

Wright's goal came when Leeds tried to catch Bergkamp offside, but a through ball by Nigel Winterburn proved too good for them.

The Dutchman timed his run perfectly and squared the ball neatly for Wright to force home inside the six-yard box.

Brian Deane, who came on as a second-half substitute to end his injury lay off, had laid on a perfect chance for Lee Sharpe to get Leeds back in the game in the 48th minute but he headed wide of an open goal.

And Arsenal keeper David Seaman, virtually a spectator throughout, denied the luckless Deane a consolation strike the full stretch save although Martyn had to repeat such heroics at the other end to keep out Paul Merson late on.