Paul Ritchie gets away from Leeds' Alan Smith (Clive Brunskill/Allsport)

Their fairy tale return to the Premiership after the dark days of Division Two could not have been better rubberstamped than at the Yorkshire citadel of one of their greatest traditional Roses rivals.

Nor was the victory that prevented Leeds from clambering over Arsenal to the top of the table anything other than thoroughly deserved.

Royle sent out a side calculated to make injury-hit Leeds work hard, with Paulo Wanchope the only recognised striker in a lineup led with great determination by former Leeds player Alfie Haaland.

Wanchope - a tireless thorn in the sides of Lucas Radebe and Michael Duberry - emerged the hero with his constant foraging, although it was a defender and a midfielder who snatched the goals that clinched City's first away win of their return to the elite.

Former England centre half Steve Howey, with his first goal following a £3million summer move from Newcastle United, and Dutchman Gerard Wiekens with his first of the year gave Royle's men the grip they never quite allowed to relax.

Yet, it was Wanchope, just back from international duty, who took the plaudits from boss Royle. 'Wanchope gave a world-class performance out there tonight and I don't think I'm exaggerating,' he said.

'If that's the effect that playing for Costa Rica has on him we'll send him straight back. He's asked for a day's sleep tomorrow, and he's certainly earned it.'

City's victory came only eight months after David O'Leary's side had romped to a 5-2 FA Cup victory at Maine Road.

Royle said: 'For us to come here and win after what they did to us in that match shows how far we've come.

'It was wonderland for our fans and they deserve it, because they follow us everywhere and after the abysmal display at Charlton they must have feared it was going to be a string of away defeats this season.'

Wanchope played a major role in the opening goal after 34 minutes that stunned a Leeds side looking to record their fifth successive win, despite a crippling injury list.

It was the gangly striker's powerful soaring header from a Mark Kennedy corner that cannoned against Nigel Martyn's crossbar and fell kindly for Howey to score. Another Kennedy corner led to City's second six minutes later.

This time Wiekens chested the ball down and thumped a rising volley past Martyn and in off the bar. Leeds struggled to reproduce their recent fine form.

Michael Bridges did smash a brilliant dipping shot against Nicky Weaver's crossbar within a minute of Howey's opener but Olympics-bound Mark Viduka looked as though his mind was already in Sydney while Alan Smith, whose goals have lit up Leeds' fine start, was well policed by former team-mate Haaland.

Lee Bowyer did haul Leeds back into the game with a precision header from Bridges' cross in the 56th minute but O'Leary conceded: 'The best team won. Too many of the players who have done brilliantly for us didn't play well tonight.'

Leeds United (4-3-3): Martyn; Kelly, Harte, Radebe, Duberry; Bowyer, Dacourt, Jones (Evans, 56min); Viduka, Bridges, Smith. Booked: Radebe.

Manchester City (4-3-2-1): Weaver; Howey, Haaland, Prior, Ritchie; Wiekens (Granville, 77), Horlock, Whitley; Tiatto, Kennedy (Wright-Phillips, 66); Wanchope. Booked: Howey, Haaland.

Referee: Graham Poll.