Leeds warmed up for their potentially explosive UEFA Cup clash with Roma on Thursday by closing the gap to just four points on Premiership leaders Manchester United.

They were at their energetic, effervescent best to hand Coventry another dose of dismal away-day blues and leave Gordon Strachan's side still looking for their first league road win of the season.

But as a taster towards United's eagerly-anticipated European encounter with Fabio Capello's talent-laden Italian impresarios David O'Leary could not have wished for a more mouth-watering Elland Road performance.

Leeds came into the game on the back of a goal drought which had seen them fail to score in their last three matches, having lost 1-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson's side and followed up with goalless draws against Middlesbrough and Roma.

But it took just under five minutes to bring that barren run to an end, with Harry Kewell - the last United player to score - again finding the net to extend his personal season's best tally to 11.

David Burrows' mistimed challenge on Michael Bridges just outside the area led to Ian Harte rolling the free-kick along the edge of the area to Kewell.

The Australian international then squeezed home a left-foot shot which beat Magnus Hedman more with its accuracy into the bottom right-hand corner than by pace.

It was the start of one of those mesmerising performances by Kewell which seems to add another few hundred thousand pounds to his potential sell-on value.

The runs - both on and off the ball - the deft touches and flicks were all in the 21-year-old's bag of tricks as he gave Colin Hendry a warm welcome back to Premiership football.

The Scotland international was one of two debutants in the Sky Blues line-up following his recent £600,000 from Rangers, along with Peruvian striker Ysrael Zuniga who came in for the injured Robbie Keane but clearly struggled to adapt in the face of a majestic Leeds display.

It was unsurprising the £800,000 buy from Melgar came off after 60 minutes because he rarely saw the ball in his time on the field, albeit due to Leeds' domination - especially of the first half.

Kewell was the architect of almost every move and Coventry's chief tormentor. Coupled with the runs of Jason Wilcox down the left wing, it meant the visitors were unable to stem an incoming white tide.

After Bridges had fired narrowly wide in the 15th minute it was an incisive, flowing move which almost led to Leeds adding a second just two minutes later.

Kewell fed Wilcox - back in the side after missing the game in Rome through suspension - down the left for a ball into the heart of the six-yard box which seemed to have too much pace on it for Bridges as he sidefooted over with the goal at his mercy.

Kewell was again the instigator of another piercing move in the 25th minute as he picked out the fit-again Stephen McPhail - returning after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury - just outside the area.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 star then split the City defence with a through ball for the on-running Bridges, but he was again off target as a flashing 15-yard right-foot drive was narrowly over the bar.

It looked like it was going to be one of those days for Leeds' £5million club record signing until three minutes from the break when he rounded off a flowing manoeuvre.

Eirik Bakke found Kewell, who then spun and passed delightfully to the wide open Bridges to run on and round Hedman before slipping the ball into an empty net for his club-leading 15th goal of the season.

Throughout the second half Leeds were able to keep a lid on any potential threat posed by Coventry - whose only chance came from a close-range effort from Noel Whelan late on - before finishing the game in style five minutes from time.

Former Sky Blue Darren Huckerby, an 80th-minute substitute for Bridges, was the supplier as he fed Wilcox to slip his second goal for Leeds beyond a sprawling Hedman.

It was Leeds' biggest Premiership win since August 11 when they beat Southampton 3-0 and sent a message out to Manchester United that they are not going to go away in the race for the title.

With chairman Peter Ridsdale also threatening to buy a new £5million striker, it was also a defiant response from Leeds' front line that they will not be ousted from the side without a fight.

Teams:

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Radebe, Woodgate (Haaland 46), Harte, Bowyer (Jones 89), Bakke, McPhail, Wilcox, Bridges (Huckerby 80), Kewell.

Subs Not Used: Smith, Robinson.

Goals: Kewell 5, Bridges 42, Wilcox 85.

Coventry: Hedman, Quinn (Shaw 46), Breen, Hendry, Burrows, Chippo, Eustace, McAllister, Whelan, Roussel, Zuniga (Normann 60).

Subs Not Used: Konjic, Pead, Hyldgaard.

Att: 38,710

Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).