Quick-change Arsenal stay at the summit

Parlour, Lauren, Dixon and Kanu hit the target to ensure Gunners cannot be overtaken in Group B

In a Champions' League tie of almost unremitting incident, Arsenal ensured that they will finish top of Group B even if they lose away to Shakhtar Donetsk in two weeks' time, by virtue of having a better head-to-head record against Lazio. Scoring twice in the opening seven minutes, and never in any any great danger, they nevertheless allowed Sparta 11 goal attempts by half-time and a good few afterwards, largely because of the unfamiliarity of the central defensive pairing of Oleg Luzhny and Nelson Vivas.

In a Champions' League tie of almost unremitting incident, Arsenal ensured that they will finish top of Group B even if they lose away to Shakhtar Donetsk in two weeks' time, by virtue of having a better head-to-head record against Lazio. Scoring twice in the opening seven minutes, and never in any any great danger, they nevertheless allowed Sparta 11 goal attempts by half-time and a good few afterwards, largely because of the unfamiliarity of the central defensive pairing of Oleg Luzhny and Nelson Vivas.

Three down to Ray Parlour, Lauren and Lee Dixon, the visitors pulled back a penalty, and David Seaman - who might have been sent off in that incident, trying to retrieve a bad error - could not relax even after Nwankwo Kanu scored a fourth. It was all such fun that Thierry Henry looked distinctly miffed when called off with almost 20 minutes to play. Hurrying straight down the tunnel, he missed only one more goal, by Tomas Rosicky with the last kick of the night.

As they compete in the later stages of the competition for the first time, Arsenal will certainly want Martin Keown and Tony Adams back, if not Gilles Grimandi, who is suspended for two more matches. They can expect to meet forwards at least as talented as Rosicky and his team-mates, who in most cases will be considerably more ruthless.

Sparta, the dominant Czech club once more, won their Champions' League group last season and considered themselves unlucky to go down to Silvinho's fine individual goal in Prague last month. Good fortune was hardly with them either in conceding two goals so early on and then striking the underside of the bar as they attempted to repair the damage.

Arsenal, missing five contenders to play in the centre of defence, had come under pressure even before that, and there was a nasty moment when Libor Sionko's cross eluded the makeshift partnership of Luzhny and Argentina's Nelson Vivas (who has started one Premiership match in the past two seasons) and struck Dixon's hand inside the penalty area.

But within seven minutes, they were two up. Patrick Vieira's first contribution to a master-class of midfield play set up Parlour to drive in his first goal of the season from 25 yards. Only two minutes later, Sparta were opened up down their right by the pace of Robert Pires and Lauren side-footed in his cross from the penalty spot. There should have been a third goal before 10 minutes had been played, the normally reliable Henry latching on to Jiri Novotny's thoughtless back-pass but hitting the side-netting.

The Czechs, creditably, did not fold and almost had a goal from Vladimir Labant's free-kick, which swirled over the defensive wall only to be touched on to the underside of the bar by Seaman. They even had the home crowd grumbling after a series of chances just before the half-hour, prior to an exchange of goals following free-kicks. In the 35th minute, Henry curled one for Arsenal, the goalkeeper Tomas Postulka parried and Dixon, the captain in Tony Adams' absence, had a tap-in.

Soon afterwards Seaman dropped a clanger after a free-kick by Rosicky, the bright young man of Czech football, holding back Marek Kincl to prevent him knocking in the rebound. The England goalkeeper escaped with a yellow card, but not without being punished by Labant's calm penalty.

After half-time Arsenal brought on the promising young left-back Ashley Cole for Silvinho and changed from their spurious dark-blue shirts (in your shops from today) to yellow, which was much easier to pick out against Sparta's maroon, the officials' kit and the crowd. As if to prove it, Henry skipped to the byline within six minutes of the restart and immediately found Kanu lurking on the six-yard box for one of his trademark shuffles and a fourth home goal.

Still Sparta would not quit. Luzhny and Vivas were exposed again by Sionko, Seaman having to dive at his feet to concede a corner, from which Jiri Jarosik's header was cleared off the line by Dixon. Rosicky's classy solo goal was deserved reward for the visitors and their indomitable following of 93 fans.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Seaman; Dixon, Luzhny, Vivas, Silvinho (Cole, h-t); Lauren, Parlour, Vieira, Pires (Bergkamp, 63); Henry (Wiltord, 71), Kanu. Substitutes not used: Lukic (gk), Ljungberg, Upson, Wreh.

Sparta Prague (3-5-2): Postulka; Hornak, J Novotny, Bolf; Sionko (Papousek, 85), Jarosik, Hasek, Rosicky, Labant; Kincl, Jun (Mynar, h-t). Substitutes not used: Blazek (gk), Kolousek, Siegl, P Novotny, Prohaszka.

Referee: A Hamer (Luxembourg).