Harry Kewell and Newcastle United threw the destiny of this season's Premiership title back into the melting pot.

After Leeds' 3-1 defeat at Liverpool last week and Manchester United's 3-2 Old Trafford victory over Coventry, pundits were claiming the title race had become a one-horse affair.

One bookmaker had even started paying out on Sir Alex Ferguson's side, but they are from home and dry as the Magpies' 3-0 win proved, and a titanic battle is now set for Elland Road next Sunday.

Leeds knew they needed victory if their title challenge was not to fade and die with three months of the season remaining, and they did not disappoint.

Despite going into the game having relinquished their two-month league leadership on the back of three defeats in four games, Leeds responded just as manager David O'Leary believed they would.

The Irishman has maintained that all good sides, particularly one as young as Leeds, will endure "a blip" at some stage of the season, with the Yorkshire club clearly having suffered a dismal start to the new Millennium.

But Leeds responded in majestic style, at least in the first half as the second saw the game deteriorate into an ill-tempered, ugly affair as football played second fiddle to a bitter battle.

O'Leary's side dominated the opening 45 minutes and deservedly led through Kewell's 10th goal of the season as sublime skill and erratic goalkeeping from Ian Walker led to the decisive moment of the game.

Michael Duberry played a long headed ball forward for Kewell - with Alan Smith running back from an offside position - which led to Walker racing yards out of his area to challenge.

But the Australian deftly flicked the ball over the Tottenham stopper, and after bringing it under control, was then faced with the imposing figure of Sol Campbell.

But the England international centre-back and Spurs skipper offered little resistance as Kewell cut inside before simply sidefooting home.

Smith, up front with Kewell in the absence of the injured Michael Bridges, then had three chances to wrap up the points in the final 10 minutes of the half.

A stabbed shot from six yards was narrowly over the bar, soon followed by a delightful turn on Chris Perry prior to an acutely angled curler which flashed inches beyond the left-hand post, and then finally a fierce drive at Walker.

Spurs boss George Graham's presence in the dugout for the first time at the start of the second half unsurprisingly provoked the wrath of the Leeds fans who have still never forgiven him for quitting Elland Road to take charge at White Hart Lane.

A chorus of boos echoed around the ground, followed by cries of 'Judas', but Graham took it in his stride and responded with a wave to his tormentors, who countered with chants of 'O'Leary, O'Leary.'

But the anger in the stands was soon reflected by that on the pitch because within minutes Lee Bowyer was lucky not to be given his marching orders as a vicious challenge on Stephen Clemence led to tempers flaring as an 18-man melee ensued.

Bowyer and Clemence chased a 50-50 ball which resulted in the Leeds midfielder stamping his Spurs counterpart in the chest as they slid in.

It provoked a heated response, with Sherwood the first to react, leading to the majority of both sides piling in, with Bowyer at the heart of the free-for-all.

Bowyer was immediately shown yellow by Gallagher, and despite the Banbury official consulting with his linesman, the England Under-21 star remained the only player cautioned in the wake of the bust-up.

The match was now beginning to boil over as Smith then appeared to elbow Spurs left back Mauricio Taricco.

The duo were already familiar with one another after the Leeds star's headbutt into the groin of the Argentinian in the game at White Hart Lane earlier this season which led to his sending off.

Gallagher could not have seen the incident on this occasion as no yellow was issued, but all the off-the-ball antics were now overshadowing any football.

David Ginola was soon involved, claiming he was first stamped on by Jason Wilcox and then Smith in two separate incidents, but Gallagher was not falling for the antics of the Frenchman, who was eventually substituted in the 78th minute.

Ginola did win one award when Gary Kelly was one of eight booked overall, with Clemence, Tim Sherwood, Chris Armstrong, Stephen Carr and Darren Anderton all cautioned for Spurs, and Matthew Jones in the book along with Bowyer and Kelly for Leeds.

At the end of the day Spurs lacked any kind of firepower with Willem Korsten forced into the role of a makeshift striker alongside the ineffective Armstrong.

Korsten had been expecting a caustic reception following his controversial move to Spurs in the summer, which led to a public fallout between O'Leary and Graham.

After spending two months on loan from Vitesse Arnhem towards the end of last season, and with the two clubs having agreed a £1.2million fee, a deal looked cut and dried.

But Korsten snubbed the Yorkshire club after being handed what he felt was a derisory contract offer, which eventually led to Graham snatching the 25-year-old from under the nose of O'Leary.

Despite his £1.8million summer switch, Korsten soon needed an ankle operation which had sidelined him until a substitute appearance in a 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday three weeks ago.

Ironically, this was the Dutchman's full debut due to striker Steffen Iversen out of action with his own ankle problems.

But Korsten saw little of the ball on his return to Yorkshire, with Armstrong having his side's best chance at the end of the first half, but he summed up Spurs' day as he sliced horribly wide.

Teams:

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate, Duberry, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke (Haaland 85), Jones, Wilcox, Smith, Kewell (Huckerby 68).

Subs Not Used: Mills, Maybury, Robinson.

Booked: Bowyer, Kelly, Jones.

Goals: Kewell 23.

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Perry, Campbell, Taricco, Anderton, Sherwood, Clemence (Nielsen 74), Ginola (Dominguez 78), Korsten, Armstrong.

Subs Not Used: Scales, Young, Baardsen.

Booked: Clemence, Sherwood, Armstrong, Carr, Anderton.

Att: 40,127

Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).