Group B - Sparta Prague v Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is worried about a nasty case of deja vu as Arsenal prepare to open their latest Champions League campaign against the Czech title-holders Sparta Prague.

Wenger's concern is that his team have taken just one point away from home and scored just one goal in two Premiership games at Sunderland and Aston Villa, despite dominating both matches and creating a catalogue of chances.

And that has also been the story of their opening matches in the last two seasons in Europe's premier competition.

They had to settle for a 1-1 draw two years ago to French champions Lens. Then, last term, Nigerian striker Kanu's penalty miss against Fiorentina was just one of a series of front-line blunders when they finished with a goalless stalemate away to the Italian Serie A side.

And, on both occasions, it was to cost them dear - failing by just a single point to reach the second phase. "Without doubt, we should be coming here as the team top of the league in England at the moment, but we have not made our chances count," Wenger said.

"I'm happy with the spirit and commitment in the team and the form we have shown, but not the number of points that we have. We had 17 shots on goal at Bradford and 22 at Sunderland, but we did not win either of those games. It is very frustrating."

Sparta Prague present, on paper, a tough opening test. They have won 12 national titles, seven of them since the partition of the republic and Slovakia and are currently top of their domestic table with a 100 per cent record in five league games this season.

They had to pre-qualify for the Champions League by beating Zimbru - the Moldovan side who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Tottenham last season - on a 2-0 aggregate, striker Josef Obadjin scoring in both legs.

Sparta Prague coach Ivan Hasek is likely to start new-boy Ivica Krizanac. Hasek has signed the Croatian midfielder from domestic rivals FK Jablonec `97, but he will be without the services of injured striker Jiri Jarosik.

Czech Republic under-21 defender Roman Lengyel will also be missing as he has been called up to the squad which will take part at the Sydney Olympics.

And Hasek's men will be without the calming influence of Milan Fukal in defence as he recently completed a £2 million switch to the Bundesliga with Hamburg.