As if Arsenal do not have enough to deal with on the pitch, they can also expect opposition tonight from above. At the weekend a Lazio delegation, including the coach Sven Goran Eriksson and four players, presented the Pope with a club shirt. Its number 80 referred to the pontiff's age rather than the goals they would like.

There is still time for Arsenal to redress the balance, given that the queen is here on a state visit, but the word is that instead the Arsenal manager will put his faith in the more traditional virtues of tireless running, physical battling and sharp finishing which brought a 2-0 win over the Champions League favourites at Highbury three weeks ago.

That victory suggested attack is the best form of defence against Lazio, and another three points this evening would take Arsenal into the second round. Arsene Wenger's tactics will be more cat and mouse than catenaccio.

"If Lazio have a weak point it would probably be defensively," he said. "It would be a mistake to adopt an entirely defensive strategy. That would be almost suicidal because Lazio have so many top players who can score goals and we must try to catch them out with our breaks."

Certainly this city seems to have as many world-class strikers as historic monuments. Gabriel Batistuta, Francesco Totti and Marco Delvecchio need not worry Arsenal since they play for Roma. But Hernan Crespo, Marcelo Salas and Simone Inzaghi are eager for revenge.

The world-record £54 million sterling strike force of Lopez and Crespo was unleashed for the first time on Saturday against Perugia, though the indications last night were that Crespo had suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury and that Inzaghi would start alongside Salas.

Wenger knows Lazio will be sharper than they were at Highbury now that Serie A is under way; he would be delighted with a draw. That would send his team through if Shakhtar Donetsk win at home to Sparta Prague.

Tony Adams is a minor doubt with a back strain and Dennis Bergkamp, who set up both Freddie Ljungberg's goals at Highbury, has not made the trip because of his fear of flying.

In his absence Wenger is likely to revert to a rigid 4-4-2 formation, calling on his midfielders to get forward when the chance allows. "We do not have enough people in the box when the ball is out wide," he said. "It's something we are trying to rectify.

"A win will make sure we go through but a point could still be enough," said Wenger.

"I know, however, it will take a fantastic performance to do it. This is a big test for us, perhaps one of the biggest since I've been here but we have the character and the experience among the players. All we need to show is the ability to win the ball back in midfield and the confidence to use it against this level of opposition."

An intriguing sub-plot is the battle between Eriksson and Wenger: neither has ruled out taking the England job when their contracts expire in June 2001 and the following summer respectively.

Arsenal's vice-chairman David Dein, part of the advisory panel for the new appointment, said he would "drop out of the discussion" if Wenger's name cropped up, but added: "I have no doubts Arsene will complete his remaining two years."

ARSENAL (probable): Seaman; Luzhny, Keown, Adams, Silvinho; Ljungberg, Grimandi, Vieira, Pires; Henry, Kanu.

LAZIO (probable): Peruzzi; Negro, Nesta, Mihajlovic, Pancaro; Stankovic, Simeone, Veron, Nedved; Salas, Inzaghi.