If the script for the title race is already shaping up fascinatingly, the sub-plot for the Champions League places is no less gripping.

Chelsea and Leeds still maintain they are in the hunt for the ultimate prize despite Manchester United's clear advantage, but a top-four finish would appear to be the limit of their ambitions.

Indeed, for Chelsea, who are sixth, even that scenario may have seemed unlikely if they had lost at home to fifth-placed Leeds, especially with Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool all victorious.

However, in a display completely - but perhaps characteristically - at odds with their abject surrender at Tottenham last week, they outplayed one of their chief rivals with a performance of heart and resolve.

Indeed, with his side hauled back into the pack and four points off even fourth place, Leeds boss David O'Leary could add wounded pride to the two black eyes he is sporting after a nose operation.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink may still not have scored against his former club in five attempts, but Eidur Gudjohnsen, whose partner gave birth to their second child on Tuesday, took just 95 seconds to give Chelsea the lead.

There was more controversy over Chelsea's second goal as the ball struck Sam dalla Bona's arm before he beat Nigel Martyn.

However, the outcome was never in any major doubt and, thankfully, there were also no real unsavoury incidents, even if Jason Wilcox could easily have been sent off for two bookable offences.

In their Worthington Cup thrashing by Spurs last week, Chelsea were second to every loose ball and showed a worrying lack of desire.

Against West Ham in the FA Cup last weekend, they also conceded a late equaliser. But they are not known as the league's most inconsistent side for nothing.

Against a strangely off-colour Leeds side, Chelsea hustled their opponents out of their stride, and that was against a midfield containing David Batty and Lee Bowyer.

While Mario Stanic was their chief inspiration, Emmanuel Petit was also showing long-overdue signs of his best form.

And the midfield duo combined in the build-up to the first goal within two minutes of the kick-off as they teed up Gudjohnsen, who produced a sublime first-time finish as he curled the ball into the top corner.

Despite a muddy pitch that ill-befitted a match of this status, Chelsea continued to exert pressure on the visitors' goal as dalla Bona, Stanic and Hasselbaink all came close.

But when they did make another breakthrough, it was amid some controversy.

When Mario Melchiot's long-throw was chested down by Hasselbaink, Wilcox's attempted clearance struck dalla Bona's arm before the Italian managed to control the loose ball.

Left foot followed left arm as he bundled a shot past Martyn and Leeds protested furiously, with Wilcox being booked.

The anger of their fans was intensified by the unwise decision to replay the goal - and the handball - to the crowd on a giant video screen.

But while their problems continued as Seth Johnson limped off to be replaced by Robbie Keane, Wilcox was fortunate to escape a second booking from either of two late tackles.

With Ian Harte also on for Woodgate at the break, while Harry Kewell later joined the fray, Leeds still struggled to establish any foothold in the game.

Gary Kelly's long-range shot was parried by Carlo Cudicini but otherwise there were was little real threat to the Chelsea goal as John Terry led the back line superbly.

While Gudjohnsen was a couple of yards off-target from the halfway line and Lampard's volley also flashed past the far post, Leeds' only real chance of a fightback vanished with six minutes left.

Cudicini spilled a relatively tame effort from Kewell, but the Chelsea keeper recovered just in time to deflect Mark Viduka's follow-up effort wide.

And that was it as O'Leary's nose was effectively put out of joint for the second time in a week. This, however, will undoubtedly have been the more painful blow.

Teams:

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Terry, Desailly, Le Saux, Stanic, Lampard, Petit, Dalla Bona, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen (Forssell 83).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Jokanovic, Ferrer, Zola.

Booked: Stanic.

Goals: Gudjohnsen 2, Dalla Bona 31.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate (Harte 45), Ferdinand, Matteo, Bowyer, Batty, Johnson (Keane 38), Wilcox, Viduka, Fowler (Kewell 64).

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Dacourt.

Booked: Woodgate.

Att: 40,614

Ref: S Bennett (Kent).