Champions League - Arsenal 4 Sparta Prague 2

Arsenal used this as a training game and hammered Sparta Prague.

The London side have won their group and will be seeded in the draw for the second round on November 10th and were 2-0 up after only eight minutes.

Sparta needed to win to raise hopes of a UEFA Cup place but were exposed ruthlessly twice in defence in the opening stage with Robert Pires prompting Arsenal's attacks.

The London club were lucky to survive a handball claim against Lee Dixon for hand ball in the second minute but they set about the Czech league leaders moments later midfielder Ray Parlour powered in a rising drive from 20 metres.

Sparta had no time to recover when Pires carried the ball down the left and was played down to the dead ball line by Thierry Henry for a low pull back into Lauren's path and the Cameroon international swept the ball wide into the net.

Henry almost made it three in the 10th minute but he hit the side netting when put clear by a Jiri Nowotny mistake.

Sparta the rallied for a good spell.

Vladimir Labant hit a sweet free kick which David Seaman palmed onto the underside of the cross bar as the home team's play became more casual.

Tomas Rosicky had a drive deflected over the bar and the Czechs came close with a Horniak header in the 28th minute which sped wide from a corner.

An error by goalkeeper Postulka handed Arsenal their third goal. He let an Henry free kick come back off his body for Lee Dixon to volley into the net but Sparta came back again to test the Arsenal defence.

The back line saw Argentine Nelson Vivas paired with Oleg Luzhny and Sionko almost got ahead of them to hit a shot over after good work from Rosicky.

The talented young Rosicky - excellent on the night despite the one-sided nature of the game - created the penalty goal for his side with a 39th minute free kick which Seaman fumbled to Kincl and fouled the forward allowing an easy spot kick conversion by Labant.

The fourth official made Arsenal change their shirts at half time because their dark blue shirts were clashing with Sparta's maroon so they emerged in yellow for the second session.

The new look did not dent their momentum and Henry raced down the left to cut back in the 48th minute for Kanu to score his first goal of the season with a deliberate low shot into the corner.

Seaman parried a Sionko near post drive moments later and Dixon cleared a header from Labant off the line but the game petered out into substitutions in a dull atmosphere but Sylvain Wiltord hit the post with a shot on the run.

Rosicky continued an excellent personal night for him by cutting inside from the left to beat two defenders and hit the net from the edge of the penalty area.