ARSENE WENGER, who has called for the away-goals rule in European club football to be abolished, sees Roma’s Francesco Totti as the chief threat to his team in the Champions League at the Emirates on Tuesday.

Wenger has much respect for a Roma team who finished a point above Chelsea in their qualifying group, winning four and losing two of their matches while scoring 12 goals and conceding six. Three of their goals came at the Olympic stadium against an abject Chelsea defence, two of the deeply embarrassing gifts going to the Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic. In his latest press conference, however, Wenger never mentioned Vucinic. He had eyes only for Totti. This was hardly surprising, given that Vucinic, who had six years with Lecce before joining Roma, has only once reached double figures as a Serie A scorer. Wenger speaks very respectfully of Roma’s strength, brushing aside the 3-0 defeat by Atalanta last weekend that left them sixth in Serie A because the game was played on a partly frozen pitch. Wenger will expect Roma to pack the midfield as they usually do, Totti operating just behind lone striker Vucinic or, if he comes on, the burly Brazilian Julio Baptista, not so long ago on loan at Arsenal.

You get the impression that even a goalless draw would not break Wenger’s heart. “The weight of the away goal is massive,” he said. “It has become too important. When you draw 0-0 at home, the team you play away has absolutely to score, so they come at you.” Thus, obviously, giving the away team welcome space. For Wenger, some sort of extra time might be a solution. Turning his attention to Roma, he said: “They’re a strange side. They like to do well against the good teams in Italy, so we must be cautious.”

Wenger described Totti as a “fantastic protector of the ball who has a quick turn, using every pass that comes from the back”. The Italian no longer plays for his country but this Roma team have plenty of other established internationals. Since selling the fast and adventurous Brazilian winger Mancini to Inter during the summer, however, they tend to rely on their overlapping full-backs. Roma no longer have the adventurous Brazilian Cafu at right-back but another Brazilian international, a younger man in Cicinho, fills the role effectively.

At centre-back, there is another Brazilian international in Juan, partnered by the resourceful blond Frenchman Philippe Mexes. Mexes has had his difficulties with the much-criticised French international manager, Raymond Domenech, who has tended to play him out of position, but is a solid figure in defence for Roma.

In midfield, Italian internationals and World Cup winners proliferate. Born in Rome, Daniele De Rossi is one of them, a World Cup medallist in Germany. Simone Perrotta, who was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, has held a regular place in the Italy team for five years. Another Roman, 24-year-old Alberto Aquilani, is accomplished on the ball and has frequently been capped for his country.

Overall, however, the Gunners will start as favourites. They cannot use Andrey Arshavin, their new Russian acquisition, since he has been used in the competition by Zenit St Petersburg, his former club. Neither, alas, can they play Eduardo, the Brazilian-Croatian who one saw in such dazzling form last week against Cardiff City in a memorably exhilarating comeback game after his shocking injury at Birmingham. A pulled muscle keeps him out. Even without the exceptional Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, said to be almost ready to return but delaying over a new contract in the hope of more money, the Gunners still have abundant talent.

There is almost an embarrassment of riches among the Arsenal strikers, with Emmanuel Adebayor, less prolific than usual this season, eager to return to the fray. Then there’s Robin van Persie, who came on late but so incisively against Cardiff last week, and the tall young Dane Nicklas Bendtner, who is looking confident and dangerous. The little French international Samir Nasri, whether on one wing or the other, guarantees width, pace and elusive skill, while Gael Clichy’s rapid overlapping on the left should inhibit Cicinho from advancing.

Roma will surely this week be more adventurous than they were when losing 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the group stage. The Roma manager, 49-year-old Luciano Spalletti, will not be found tactically wanting, but will he be anxious to avoid what Wenger sees as the poison chalice of a goalless draw?

ARSENAL v ROMA
Tuesday, 7.30pm
ITV4, kick-off 7.45pm

Roma have been in skittish form, but their recovery since the start of the season, when they won only two of 10 Serie A games, has been impressive. Captain Francesco Totti returned from injury sooner than expected but defender Christian Panucci is still sidelined after a spat with coach Luciano Spalletti