Uefa Champions League/ Arsenal 3 Sparta Prague 0 ( Arsenal win 5-0 on aggregate):Tomas Rosicky did not celebrate. The Arsenal midfielder has too much respect for Sparta Prague, the club that set him on the path to stardom, to rub their noses in it after scoring.

But his goal early in the first half here sparked a round of back slapping inside the Arsenal directors' box. It ensured that they could rest easy for the remainder of the night. There would be no unthinkable result. The €36 million that comes with qualification to the Champions League group stage is on its way into the club's coffers.

It is not the money that motivates Arsene Wenger, the manager. But for two late goals from Barcelona in 2006, he could have had cradled Europe's most prestigious trophy. He wants that feeling one day and could not countenance a 10th season in succession without the platform of the group stage to launch his dreams.

Safe passage came with the minimum of fuss and maintained Arsenal's positive start to the season. Wenger believes that his players have set the tone. It is up to them now to maintain such levels, in the tougher tests that await.

Theo Walcott and Abou Diaby were prominent while Cesc Fabregas, on as a substitute, added a late second goal, when he exchanged passes with Eduardo da Silva and rifled home from 15 yards. The Brazilian-born striker added a third himself, his opening goal for the club.

If the first leg of this final qualifying-round tie had given Arsenal the comfort of a 2-0 advantage, no one at the club dared consider the job completed. Wenger admitted that Sparta had been "better than (he) expected" in Prague, in particular Jan Rezek, the quicksilver winger, and he issued orders for his team to focus from the off.

His players responded. The stadium clock showed seven minutes when they began the attractive move that put them further in front on aggregate.

Robin Van Persie laid the ball back to Justin Hoyte and he quickly found Walcott, inviting him to run at Michal Kadlec on the right flank. Walcott showed fleetness of foot to engineer a yard before he reached the by-line and the awareness to zip the ball back towards the penalty spot. Rosicky arrived to sweep confidently past Tomas Postulka.

In the Emirates Stadium's wide spaces, Sparta took time to find their feet. Arsenal almost conjured a second when Eduardo da Silva crossed to the far post. Van Persie could not stretch to apply the decisive touch.

Rosicky's goal rendered the tie flat. Arsenal had not conceded three goals all season and it bordered on the ridiculous to expect Sparta to derail them with such a haul in the second-half. They did have their moments. Justin Hoyte inadvertently diverted Horvath's corner towards his own net, after an aerial challenge, and Manuel Almunia needed to be alert to block.

ARSENAL: Almunia, Justin Hoyte, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott, Diaby, Silva, Rosicky, Eduardo, Van Persie. Subs: Fabianski, Fabregas, Hleb, Denilson, Flamini, Adebayor, Bendtner.

SPARTA PRAGUE: Postulka, Repka, Kladrubsky, Kadlec, Abraham, Rezek, Horvath, Pospech, Husek, Kulic, Dosek. Subs: Kozacik, Zofcak, Brezinsky, Kisel, Kolar, Slepicka, Limbersky.

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere(Belgium)

• Guardian Service