However, as Leeds were left to pick themselves up ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg in Valencia, there was further controversy in a domestic fixture full of bad blood from past encounters.

After the match at Elland Road last November, Patrick Vieira was charged by the FA for kicking Olivier Dacourt in the face and was banned for one game, while O’Leary himself had an angry off-pitch row with Robert Pires.

This time around, seven players were booked but the most ugly incidents involved Keown as he appeared to clash with Mark Viduka and Lee Bowyer.

Viduka claimed the England defender had elbowed him in the face and, while nursing a split lip, he exacted his own revenge and was booked.

Keown was also alleged to have clashed with Bowyer, with reports intimating he either elbowed the midfielder or stood on his arm.

Referee Peter Jones took no action on either occasion and O’Leary urged the FA’s video advisory panel to review the two incidents.

O'Leary declared: "I hope the FA will take a look at those two incidents.

"Some things have happened today that should have been dealt with and weren’t. I hope the FA deal with them."

He added: "‘The referee could have dealt with one or two situations better but I still don’t think it was a spiteful game."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger responded: "The FA have to look at these things, of course. I don’t mind.

"It was a tough game. Leeds have a very physical player up front in Viduka, who protects the ball well and that sometimes provokes physical challenges.

"Maybe Martin was sometimes a bit nervous and reacted. But Viduka is a difficult player to play against.

"I saw Martin protecting with his elbow. The assistant referee has to make a report on what he has seen. It’s not my problem. If the FA decide to have a look at it, they will have a look at it. We are used to it."

Wenger insists the rivalry between the two clubs has not reached an unhealthy level, despite 40 yellow cards and two reds in the past six encounters.

"You could see there was something at stake for both teams," he added.

"Maybe it was sometimes over-commitment or too many physical challenges but there’s no bad feeling on my side towards Leeds.

"Sometimes when there is so much at stake in such a big game, players get a little over-excited but what happened at Leeds didn’t influence our preparation at all. What can I do about what other people say about us?"

After goals by Fredrik Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord had put Arsenal ahead, Leeds immediately reduced the arrears through Harte’s free-kick.

Having accused Arsenal of being bad losers after their 1-0 defeat at Elland Road, O’Leary was at pains to insist the Gunners deserved to win this time around.

The former Arsenal defender, who was barracked by the Highbury crowd, insisted: "That’s not taking anything away from the fact that they were the better side and good luck to them.

"The best team by far won in the end. We have quite a few young players out there and maybe some of them had an eye on Tuesday night, but I’d still hate to use that as an excuse."