Arsenal (1) 2 Leeds (0) 1 FT Wright 44,90 Deane 53
Ian Wright scored a dramatic injury-time winner - his second goal of the game - to keep Arsenal on course for Europe and scupper unlucky Leeds.
Referee Jeff Winter, who had booked Wright earlier for dissent, was looking at his watch when Paul Merson juggled with the ball on the edge of the Leeds area and flicked it over his shoulder for David Platt to head on.
Wright seemed to control the ball with an arm as he turned to strike an unstoppable shot past Leeds goalkeeper John Lukic.
It was rough justice on Leeds, even after Wright gave Arsenal a lead they did not deserve just before the interval.
Brian Deane equalised with his 10th goal of the season - when Gary Speed's shot struck him in the midriff and ricocheted wide of goalkeeper David Seaman.
Seaman had already saved twice at full stretch in the opening minutes of the second half from Deane and Gary McAllister.
Leeds kept going even after suffering the body blow of Wright's opener seconds before the half-time whistle.
Dennis Bergkamp, who had been marked out of the game by Lucas Radebe, suddenly made space for a thundering strike which Lukic could only beat out.
The former Arsenal keeper got up again to block John Hartson's follow-up effort, but it only fell for Wright, who calmly put away his 21st goal of the season.
Leeds should have been ahead by then, with Deane and the otherwise impressive Andrew Gray both failing to beat Seaman from close range.
But Arsenal did not appear aware that they were playing for a place in the UEFA Cup next season until the last 15 minutes.
Then Wright twice shot inches wide and Merson's cracking 20-yard effort met a similar fate.
But Wright made no mistake in the closing seconds, when Leeds must had thought they had done well enough to earn at least a point.
Arsenal: (3-4-1-2) Seaman, Keown, Linighan, Marshall, Dixon, Merson, Platt, Bergkamp, Winterburn, Wright, Hartson.
Subs not used: Helder, Shaw, Rose.
Booked: Wright, Hartson, Marshall.
Leeds: (3-1-4-2) Lukic, Kelly, Harte, Palmer, Radebe, Wetherall, Gray, Brolin, McAllister, Speed, Deane.
Subs not used: Tinkler, Pemberton, Wallace.
Booked: Palmer, Harte.
Attendance: 37,619.
Referee: J T Winter (Stockton on Tees).
