LEICESTER GATECRASH RIO'S CARNIVAL
A first half salvo from Robbie Savage, Ade Akinbiyi and Gerry Taggart built a platform for The Foxes, as Mark Viduka's second half strike was scant consolation for David O'Leary's side.
Peter Taylor's side took an early lead through Welsh international Savage as he pounced to slot home a rebound from Darren Eadie's vicious 20 yard effort.
Frank Sinclair's delicate cross set up Akinbiyi for a trademark header and Taggart followed this up with a header from a Callum Davidson free kick. Viduka smashed home a rebound after Alan Smith's turn and shot was well saved by Simon Royce.
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Leicester 3 Leeds 1
Elsewhere, Manchester United remain eight points clear thanks to an easy 2-0 win over Tottenham.
Paul Scholes got the opener, five minutes from the interval with a powerful right foot shot from the edge of the box and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer came off the bench to make it two.
Manchester United 2 Tottenham 0
Jim Jeffries' first home game in charge of Bradford City ended victoriously as two goals in three minutes from Stan Collymore and Peter Beagrie cancelled out John Aloisi's opener and drop Coventry into the relegation zone as a result.
Bradford City 2 Coventry City 1
Meanwhile, Jim Smith's Derby County gained a valuable three points at Ipswich and kept the home side from scoring for the first time this season into the bargain.
Rory Delap's 28th minute strike in a fairly uneventful game proved the highlight of the first half and gave The Rams some respite at the bottom of the table.
Ipswich Town 0 Derby County 1
Arsenal stayed in the title fight, just, as an 85th minute winner from Patrick Vieira allowed The Gunners to scrape past Southampton 1-0 and hold The Red Devils' lead to eight points.
Arsenal 1 Southampton 0
Injury-hit Newcastle salvaged a draw against Aston Villa thanks to Nolberto Solano's 82nd minute equaliser at Villa Park.
The home side had taken the lead as early as the fourth minute when Dion Dublin headed home David Ginola's exquisite cross, as the Frenchman started against his former club.
It got worse for the visitors as central defensive duo Aaron Hughes and Alain Goma were injured in the first half and the makeshift pairing of Warren Barton and Stephen Caldwell managed to keep Villa out, before the Peruvian hit home to give Bobby Robson's side a point to take back to the North East.
Aston Villa 1 Newcastle United 1
Liverpool eventually eased to a 3-0 win over Charlton at Anfield. Mark Fish put through his own net in the fifth minute but the visitors dominated the second half until Emile Heskey headed home a Christian Ziege cross and Markus Babbel pounced in the last minute for his first ever Premiership goal.
Liverpool 3 Charlton 0
Finally, Bryan Robson's grip on the reigns at Middlesbrough remains tenuous after a 1-0 loss at West Ham. Paolo Di Canio's goal three minutes from the break proved enough to beat the Teessiders, who also lost £8 million signing Ugo Ehiogu after he picked up two yellow cards.
West Ham United 1 Middlesbrough 0
