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The match started in perfect fashion for the Yorkshire side as they soaked up pressure to grab an 18th minute lead.
Mark Viduka outjumped Williams Gallas to head the ball into the path of Harry Kewell who skipped past John Terry.
The Australian chested the ball down ten yards out and volleyed home with his left foot past the helpless Carlo Cudicini.
Half time came and went with more Chelsea pressure without producing a goal and that included two good shouts for penalties.
Then up stepped Eidur Gudjohnsen who supplied one of the finest goals ever seen at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard, wide on the right, whipped in a full-blooded cross and the ball was met in acrobatic style by the Icelandic striker who bicycle-kicked the ball from eight yards out past Paul Robinson in the 56th minute.
However, Leeds were not down and out and in fact, took the game back to Chelsea and got their noses inn front again 11 minutes later.
An Alan Smith corner fell invitingly to Teddy Lucic who managed to stab the ball home from the grasp of Cudicini five yards out.
Chelsea, in the past may have capitulated at this point but as Terry Venables commented: "They are made of resilient stuff now."And so it proved to be as an equaliser came with ten minutes remaining.
Substitute Boudewijn Zenden's right byline cross was pushed out to Lampard just inside the Leeds penalty area.
The former West Ham man arrowed a perfect left footer back towards goal and it sailed past Robinson to nestle into the back of the net.
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The only person between the ball and goal was Matteo who prodded the ball into his own net from just on the goal-line.
"I don't blame Matteo for the goal," commented Leeds boss Venables.
"I'm just disappointed that we were not able to keep the lead twice. We deserved a point and perhaps should have won the game."
Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri though his side deserved victory.
"We played very well," he said. "They (Leeds) defended and then counter-attacked. Both their goals were our mistakes and we showed great heart."