The only disappointment for Arsenal's fans last night was that their side only scored four times. Two up inside seven minutes, Arsene Wenger's players slipped into cruise control and produced only bursts of brilliance to make sure of top spot in Group B.

Goals by Ray Parlour, Lauren and Lee Dixon put Arsenal in control and although Sparta Prague pulled one back, Nwankwo Kanu added a fourth early in the second half. Sparta's spirit deserved the injury-time goal added by Tomas Rosicky.

Arsenal's first arrived in the fifth minute, Patrick Vieira passing square into the path of Parlour, who struck the ball sweetly past Tomas Postulka from 25 yards. Two minutes later came the second. Robert Pires was the architect, bursting past Libor Sionko on the left flank and cutting back a cross which Lauren swept into the corner.

Arsenal's third came when Postulka failed to hold Henry's free-kick and the captain Dixon slammed in the loose ball from a couple of yards.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, Seaman had clearly watched that incident too closely. Shortly afterwards he let a Rosicky freekick slip from his grasp and brought down Marek Kincl as the ball ran loose. Labant scored from the penalty spot.

Perhaps to keep them on their toes, Arsenal switched from blue shirts to yellow at the interval, though the official explanation was that the two teams looked too similar to the fourth official.

The Lazio defender Sinisa Mihajlovic last night apologised for the abuse he directed at Vieira in last week's match. Speaking before last night's home match against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Yugoslav said on the public address system: "I know I made a mistake last Tuesday and I want to sincerely apologise to all those who felt rightly offended for the expression I used in a moment of particular tension on the field."

Mihajlovic also called on Lazio fans to cease racist chanting.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Luzhny, Vivas, Silvinho (Cole 46), Parlour, Vieira, Lauren, Pires (Bergkamp 62), Henry (Wiltord 70), Kanu. Subs Not Used: Lukic, Ljungberg, Upson, Wreh. Booked: Seaman, Parlour. Goals: Parlour 5, Lauren 7, Dixon 35, Kanu 52.

Sparta Prague: Postulka, Labant, Hasek, Hornak, J Novotny, Kincl, Bolf, Sionko (Papousek 85), Jarosik, Jun (Mynar 46), Rosicky. Subs Not Used: Blazek, Kolousek, Siegl, P Novotny, Prohaszka. Goals: Labant 41 pen, Rosicky 90.

Referee: A Hamer (Luxembourg).