Viduka gives nine-man Leeds win at Arsenal
( 2001-08-22 10:42 ) (7 )

Australian striker Mark Viduka cracked the winner as nine-man Leeds United gained an impressive 2-1 victory at Arsenal in the English premier league on Tuesday.

Viduka's low finish after 53 minutes settled a stormy Highbury encounter in which Leeds's Lee Bowyer and Danny Mills were given their marching orders late on.

Promoted Bolton Wanderers lead the early season table after following up their 5-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday by beating Middlesbrough 1-0 at the Reebok Stadium thanks to a Michael Ricketts goal.

Nigerian Finidi George scored his first two goals for Ipswich Town as they beat 10-man Derby County 3-1 at Portman Road in the night's other premier league game.

The frenzied Highbury encounter featured 11 bookings in all and marked the second day in succession a team finished with nine men after Tottenham Hotspur had two players sent off in their 1-1 draw at Everton on Monday. Arsenal had the better of the first half but Leeds proved their equal with some tenacious defending and an Ian Harte deadball special.

After Leeds's Eirik Bakke, Olivier Dacourt, Bowyer and Mills were all booked in a hectic nine-minute spell, Harte curled a free-kick past an unready Arsenal defensive wall and scrambling goalkeeper David Seaman to give the visitors the lead after 28 minutes.

It lasted only four minutes, though, as Sylvain Wiltord stooped to divert Ashley Cole's deflected shot past Nigel Martyn.

Wiltord had already tested Martyn with two fierce efforts and Tony Adams also threatened, although Viduka twice went close at the other end.

The Australian made amends eight minutes into the second half when he turned inside a static Adams and rifled a low shot past Seaman to make it 2-1.

Last season's two league encounters between the sides were both equally stormy affairs and Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Cole and Viduka were all booked as the second half became tetchier and tetchier.

BOILED OVER

It finally boiled over as referee Jeff Winter first gave Bowyer his marching orders for a second yellow card offence - a foul on Cole - 12 minutes from the end.

He was joined by team mate Mills who earned his second booking again after a clash with Cole with three minutes to go, but Leeds held on for a valuable early season win.

In between, Arsenal substitute Francis Jeffers was also booked.

Ricketts curled in his second goal in two games after 39 minutes to give Bolton another three points at home to Middlesbrough, who were beaten 4-0 at home by Arsenal on Saturday.

Like Leeds, Bolton have six points but a superior goal difference.

George fired in his first goal for Ipswich on his home debut to put them in front against Derby County after 14 minutes.

Derby had Brian O'Neil sent off for two bookable offences and Richard Naylor doubled Ipswich's lead three minutes after halftime.

George grabbed his second after 76 minutes with a diving header before Derby's late consolation from Fabrizio Ravanelli, the Italian scoring his second of the season.