FA PREMIERSHIP/Leeds United 2 Manchester City 1: Describing relegation as a "remote possibility" was possibly not the best way for Leeds United's incoming chairman Gerald Krasner to start if he wants to be taken more seriously than some of his predecessors, but the new regime at Elland Road can at least believe they are blessed with good fortune. Bucketloads of it.

Having been outplayed by Manchester City for the vast majority of this entertaining trans-Pennine encounter, Leeds were indebted to a highly contentious penalty, scored by Mark Viduka, to move above Wolves at the bottom of the Premiership and within two points of safety with nine games to go.

The optimists among Leeds' support, Krasner included, will be acutely aware those fixtures incorporate visits from the likes of Leicester City, Everton and Portsmouth, but, on a gloomier note, Eddie Gray's side must also travel to Arsenal before going to Chelsea on the final day of the season.

Krasner should not be faulted too much for his optimism, but the long spells in which City out-passed their hosts will have made the new men in power squirm with discomfort in the directors' box.

Kevin Keegan's team played with verve and vigour and concocted enough chances to have wrapped up the match before half-time, never mind needing a Nicolas Anelka goal to haul them level.

Not only was the winner controversial, but City were also entitled to be aggrieved by Stephen McPhail's opening goal because until that point they had passed the ball better, attacking with the sort of confidence that comes with just having beaten Manchester United 4-1.

There was also a freakish element to McPhail's first goal of the season which was emphasised by the slightly sheepish celebrations. The Irish midfielder had simply been trying to direct a free-kick into the penalty area, but the ball went over the head of Alan Smith and surprised David James by curling inside his post.

To their credit, City did not allow the fluke to interrupt their rhythm. Instead, Keegan's team seemed to take it as an affront.

Michael Tarnat promptly saw a deflected free-kick ricochet off Paul Robinson's post and, playing some lovely first-touch football that belied their own relegation troubles, it came as little surprise when Anelka capped a flowing move involving Joey Barton and Antoine Sibierski to angle a fine equaliser beyond Robinson just before the interval. Anelka has now scored 21 goals this season and it is doubtful whether there have been any better.

The second half began in much the same vein as the first had ended, with Robinson making a string of fine saves, most notably from a Sibierski header, and the elusive Shaun Wright-Phillips posing Didier Domi difficulties every time he took possession.

Yet, Leeds also have a highly talented young right-winger in Jermaine Pennant and he must have caught the attention of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who was in the crowd.

It was Pennant who won the free-kick off Tarnat for McPhail to make the breakthrough and, for long spells, the on-loan Arsenal midfielder was the solitary Leeds player to worry the notoriously fragile City defence.

Otherwise, the visitors handled the threat of Alan Smith and Mark Viduka with unexpected ease, even if a combination of their own profligacy and Robinson's fine goalkeeping left them vulnerable to a Leeds breakaway.

One such move proved decisive in the 75th minute. Viduka's flick left Smith in a sprint for the ball with Daniel van Buyten that the Leeds man won before going down.

Smith appeared to have tripped himself, with the slightest of contacts from Van Buyten coming outside the penalty area, but the referee Alan Wiley decided there had been an infringement and compounded City's misery by producing a red card for their player.

Viduka's precise penalty did the rest. Leeds have hope again. - Guardian Service

LEEDS: Robinson, Kelly, Caldwell, Matteo, Domi, Pennant, McPhail, Seth Johnson, Milner, Smith, Viduka. Subs Not Used: Carson, Harte, Radebe, Lennon, Simon Johnson. Booked: Viduka, Seth Johnson. Goals: McPhail 23, Viduka 76 pen.

MANCHESTER CITY: James, Wright-Phillips, Dunne, Van Buyten, Distin, Tarnat, Sibierski, Barton, Bosvelt (Jihai 82), Fowler, Anelka. Subs Not Used: Arason, Wanchope, Macken, Sinclair. Sent Off: Van Buyten (75). Booked: Jihai. Goals: Anelka 44.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).