After reaching the semi finals of the Champions League and ending the previous season in red hot form much was expected of Leeds, especially with the squad injury-free compared to the start of the previous season. Utd got off to a good start with a vital 2-1 win over Arsenal in the 2nd game of the season, later followed by back-to-back wins against Charlton and Derby to put Leeds top of the Premiership. Leeds also progressed in the UEFA Cup with strikers Robbie Keane and Harry Kewell scoring regularly. Indeed Leeds were not beaten in the league until November, shortly after which manager David O'Leary finally landed prize striker Robbie Fowler from Liverpool for 11 million, whom he had tried to buy 2 seasons earlier. Over Christmas and the new year the trial of players Lee Bowyer and Johnathan Woodgate was back under way, but consecutive wins over Bolton, Southampton and West Ham put Leeds back on top of the league, with new signing Robbie Fowler and fellow striker Mark Viduka scoring often. Then, just as players Bowyer and Woodgate were found not guilty, a shock 2–1 loss to second division Cardiff knocking Leeds out the FA Cup caused their form to drop, embarking on a run of 9 straight games without a win - including being knocked out the UEFA Cup by Dutch side PSV. Leeds had now fallen out of the title race and although they recovered with a 2–1 win at Ipswich, they had lost too much ground at the top of the league. Back-to-back losses against Manchester Utd and Tottenham ended any hope of a top 3 finish. Leeds won 4 out of their last 5 games to finish a disappointing 5th place. After the season had finished manager David O'Leary was sacked, having been in charge since October 1998, during which time had secured a 4th, a 3rd, and a 4th place finish in the league, a UEFA Cup final appearance, and a Champions League semi-final. Leeds chairman Peter Risdsale stated that despite spending over £100 million, failure to qualify for the Champions League or win any silverware for the second season in a row was an ultimate failure, resulting in Leeds running at a net loss of 15 million.
Final league table
;Results summary ;Results by round
Players
First-team squad
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Results
Premier League
UEFA Cup
FA Cup
League Cup
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
