For all the talk of ideals and aspirations, football's critical encounters can be flawed and grubby. Both sides sorely needed a win from this game, but that did not prove to be a cue for elevated performances.

Arsenal, with the rippling moves that Dennis Bergkamp so often initiated in the early phases, were far less to blame, and it was the visitors who soured the evening and in so doing seemed to threaten their own prospects.

Italian football is in need of turning the clock back, but only as far as those magisterial figures who bestrode the European scene in the mid-90s. Here Roma, for a while, drew more on a roughhouse tradition of reprisal and aggression. It did not, however, depend much on slyness, and the offence that brought a red card for the captain Francesco Totti was committed before the referee's disbelieving eyes.

The forward and Martin Keown had settled into a niggling relationship almost from the kick-off and, after 23 minutes, Totti stuck a hand in his face as he cleared. The Italian's grievances must have been based on the conviction that the Arsenal centre back had exaggerated the degree of impact, but that factor was of no relevance to Urs Meier, an official confronted with unacceptable conduct.

Before long there would be bookings for Walter Samuel and Damiano Tommasi, as well as for the Highbury club's left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

At that stage, Arsenal had the reassurance of an opener from Patrick Vieira, but Arsène Wenger's side has a habit of complicating its own life no matter what advantages it might hold.

While that flaw adds an element of human interest to the story of their season, it also infuriates fans who would prefer monotonous domination of rivals.

Even with Totti, whom Wenger so admires, removed from the action, the element of danger had not been stripped from Arsenal's evening. Their initial home match in Group B, against Valencia, had ended in a goalless draw despite the dismissal of Miguel Angulo. Yesterday Arsenal, in a different fashion, threatened to minimise their own advantages.

In the 45th minute, Emerson steered a beautiful pass behind a static defence and Antonio Cassano rounded David Seaman to finish. The feeling of incredulity must have made Arsenal wonder if they had only imagined their early superiority.

It had been real enough, all the same. The passing of Bergkamp and Vieira was sharp then and Thierry Henry had recovered sufficiently from his calf injury.

Only Sol Campbell was unavailable to Wenger and he might just recover to face Blackburn on Saturday.

The familiarity of the line-up bred an assurance in the build-up. The 12th-minute goal, though, demanded little sophistication. Van Bronckhorst's corner was fast and flat, but it was still unexpected that Vieira should be unattended to jump and head home from six yards.

There may have been a recurring malfunction in the visitors' defence because another Vieira header, in the 19th minute, threatened to double the lead until Ivan Pelizzoli made a remarkable save to tip the ball round the post.

The incident seemed then to be no more than a part of the evening's entertainments, but once Roma were level it acquired ominous overtones.

Arsenal, who had only won one of seven previous Champions League fixtures, know all about frustration. After the interval, they pushed more attackers forward against an undermanned side, but they heaped pressure on themselves as well as the visitors.

There was certainly less elegance and the congestion around the penalty area epitomised the frustration Arsenal are suffering while trying to find a way through this group.

There were opportunities to clear their own path. After 48 minutes, Arsenal counter-attacked from a Roma corner and possession lay with the man best equipped to use it.

Bergkamp had Henry and Sylvain Wiltord to either side of him. The latter had slightly more scope and the ball was duly laid in front of him, but Wiltord did not find the right angle from which to shoot and Pelizzoli was not tested severely by the drive.

Arsenal looked as if they might have all too many regrets. When Bergkamp put Robert Pires on a run through the middle, the midfielder was composed beating the last defender, but then shot over.

The excitement of the crowd was more a mark of anxiety than appreciation, and Roma would have had the lead if the substitute Vincenzo Montella had not headed over when all alone as Cafu picked him out.

Depressed though Arsenal will be, it could all have been even worse last night.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Lauren (Kanu 88), Keown, Cygan, van Bronckhorst, Wiltord (Jeffers 73), Silva, Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp (Ljungberg 73), Henry. Subs Not Used: Taylor, Parlour, Stepanovs, Toure. Booked: van Bronckhorst. Goals: Vieira 12.

ROMA: Pelizzoli, Panucci, Aldair, Samuel, Candela, Cafu, Emerson, Tommasi, Lima , Totti, Cassano (Montella 62). Subs Not Used: Antonioli, Sartor, Fuser, Cufre, Guigou, De Rossi. Sent Off: Totti (22). Booked: Cassano, Samuel, Aldair. Goals: Cassano 45.

Referee: U Meier (Switzerland).