Silvinho showed that he can shoot with alarming power from distance with a stunning goal at Chelsea last week. Against Sparta, he demonstrated that he possesses other typically Brazilian gifts as well.

The left back from Sao Paulo is not renowned for his goalscoring - indeed, he contributed only one during his first season in English football.

But his remarkable effort in the first half here gave Arsenal what could well transpire to be a crucial victory in their opening match in Champions League Group B.

On a night when his teammates Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Kanu suffered racial abuse from sections of the Sparta crowd, Silvinho provided the perfect riposte when he left three home defenders on the floor to score an exquisite goal that sets Arsene Wenger's team up perfectly for next week's game with Shakhtar Donetsk at Highbury.

With the Ukraine team losing 3-0 to Lazio at home last night, Arsenal's destiny appears to be very much in their own hands as long as Wenger's team steer clear of the shortcomings at home that led to their elimination at this stage a year ago.

And for that they owe a debt of gratitude to their 26-year-old Brazil international.

Silvinho's goal in the 33rd minute was in its conception not unlike that scored by his fellow South American Ricardo Villa for Tottenham in their 1981 FA Cup Final replay victory against Manchester City at Wembley.

Receiving possession from Robert Pires on the left edge of the penalty area, he seemed to be hankering after an opportunity to unload with his right foot as he moved parallel across the top of the 18-yard line.

But with a drop of the left shoulder, Silvinho changed course and covering defenders Radek Mynar, Jiri Novotny and Rene Bolf crumpled like paper dolls at his feet as he shimmied into the area to beat goalkeeper Tomas Postulka with a chip that crept in at the far post despite the frantic efforts of Pavel Novotny to scoop it clear.

During his time at Highbury, Silvinho has made progress that has surprised even Wenger and it was the speed with which he adapted to the Premiership that persuaded his manager to release Nigel Winterburn in the summer with such confidence.

Already this season he has shown signs that there is more to come from him and he is certainly a player who is beginning to believe in himself when in possession.

As for Arsenal, this result should now give them the confidence to believe that the second phase of this competition is well within their grasp.

With Donetsk the weakest team in the group by some distance, Arsenal should expect to gather maximum points from their games with the Ukrainians which will leave the home and away fixtures with Lazio as crucial as they seek one of the top two places.

Arsenal could have won more comfortably, especially given the way Sparta wobbled in the immediate aftermath of Silvinho's goal in presenting clear chances to Henry and Kanu.

As it was, the second half proved to be a testing experience. Jiri Novotny, who had brought a reflex save from David Seaman seconds before Silvinho's goal, headed a corner inches wide of the far post while the troublesome Petr Papousek advanced from midfield to stride on to a Pavel Novotny pass and drill a shot into the side netting.

If they were warning shots from Sparta then they weren't greatly heeded and when Martin Keown lost his bearings beneath a long pass in the dying moments, Josef Obajdin took a coat of paint from the top of a crossbar with a volley from a tight angle.

It was unfortunate that Arsenal's coloured players should be subjected to the kind of racial barracking that football has worked so hard to eradicate. It was equally disappointing that stewards seemed reluctant to seek out the offenders, but such is the character of Wenger's players that they were never likely to be affected.

It was Silvinho's third goal in his last three starts and his only disappointment was that he didn't see the ball cross the line. He said: 'I didn't see the goal go in because I was knocked over. I must watch it on television.

'I did it all with my left foot. It was not as exciting as the one against Chelsea. That was a wonderful goal but every goal I score is wonderful for me. I'm a left back and my first duty is to defend but I seem to be scoring all the time now. I hope it continues.'

Wenger said: 'It was a solid defensive performance and Silvinho's was a fantastic goal.