Arsenal against Birmingham City

Aliadiere races into the area and squares for Parlour, who looks a certain goalscorer - until Purse makes a great block. He's had a fine game

Birmingham have settled well to their task after the break - at times in the first half they looked likely to be overrun

The game rather meandering towards its conclusion at the moment

Keown meets it, but his headed attempt is off-target

...it's blocked and goes behind for a Gunners corner

Vieira lurking outside the area. Henry crosses, Gilberto shoots...

Lauren chips the ball into the area, where Kenna is waiting to head clear

He hits it, but in the end it's a comfortable catch for Vaesen in the Birmingham goal

Henry, who got on the scoresheet from a similar range in the first half, is looking at this...

Blues on the ball again - but they soon face danger as Henry is fouled by Purse on the edge of the area

Aliadiere nearly gets onto the end of a low Edu pass into the area... all he gets for his pains is a knock, but he's soon back on his feet

So nearly a route back into the game for the Midlanders. Aliadiere comes on for goalscorer Wiltord as Wenger decides to make a switch

Birmingham's travelling fans take out their frustrations on Cole - meantime, Darren Carter meets a cross and sees his header brush the top of the net

Cisse challenges Cole as Birmingham attack - he picks up a second yellow card and is sent off. Blues down to ten men for the last 17 minutes

Birmingham again do well in defence as Wiltord and Parlour threaten - they've grown in confidence as this half has progressed

Horsfield is taken off and Aussie winger Stan Lazaridis is his replacement as Blues make another change

It falls to the unmarked Stern John, but he can't make proper contact with a fast-moving ball

Another Birmingham corner - Horsfield winning this one down the left...

Cisse makes a heavy challenge on Wiltord down the Arsenal left - and he joins Purse, whose name was taken in the first half, in the book

Henry zips through for Arsenal, but his attempted pass out wide is overhit and poses no trouble to the Birmingham defence

Arsenal break with Wiltord and Parlour: Purse, who has done well so far, gets there to clear the danger

Good spell this by Birmingham, and Arsenal have just taken their foot off the pedal a little bit

Good skill by Stern John, who fires in a shot which Seaman deals with

Soon afterwards, Cisse tries an effort from the edge of the box - it's way over the top and flies into the Clock End

His effort, though, is straight at the defensive wall and poses no threat

Gilberto fouls Carter on the edge of the area and pretty central... Grainger is having a look at this one...

The Gunners defender is back on his feet, and zips down the left to win a throw

Grainger gets a cross in and Stern John heads goalwards. Seaman is there, but Cole has been grounded by a challenge in the area

Vaesen will hit this one long downfield... Hughes does well, taking on Lauren and winning another corner

Birmingham making a change - Tebilly coming off and Darren Carter takes his place

It could so easily have been four or even five already

...Lauren crosses, Henry heads - but it's fractionally wide of the target

Henry is robbed by Tebilly, but back come Arsenal again with Vieira... now Edu...

Seconds later, another great break. Parlour again involved, but his final cross is just too long for the galloping Ashley Cole

Arsenal break with lightning pace - Parlour fires in a cross from the right, but Edu can only steer his header over the top

David Seaman takes command, grabbing the cross comfortably

The result of that is a corner - the first of the game for Bruce's side

Kenna tries a cross and it finds its way towards Horsfield

A rare aimless ball forward from Arsenal... Birmingham have the throw from that

Tebilly hoists a long ball forward - in the end, it's easy for Arsenal to defend

Horsfield is fouled near halfway - free-kick to the visitors

At the other end, Stern John twists and turns in the area but steers his final shot well wide of the far post

Arsenal have started the second period in the same way they ended the first - totally in command

The delivery is disappointing and easily cleared... Campbell finds Henry beautifully and Vaesen makes an excellent low save

...and Purse makes a superb interception to save the day. Corner...

Vieira cuts out the ball in midfield and finds Henry. He looks for Gilberto in the middle...

Great turn from the excellent Wiltord... Grainger, though, is there to cut out the danger

Birmingham hit it long, and it's easily cleared by Arsenal

He tries to steer it goalwards under pressure from Purse, and sees it bobble wide

We're under way in the second half, and straight away Wiltord runs through onto a bouncing ball...

Into added time, which there isn't much of. The half-time whistle goes with Arsenal 2-0 up and looking very, very comfortable

More encouraging - Johnson crosses from the right and there are one or two uncertain moments for Arsenal before it's cleared

Horsfield is fouled inside his own half - free-kick, which ends up all the way back with Vaesen

Wiltord crosses - or attempts to - and sees the ball trickle through to Vaesen. Not long left until the break now

Another Blues move breaks down and Wiltord looks to come forward... he wins a throw midway inside the Birmingham half

It's swung deep towards Keown, but Birmingham deal with that one well thanks to Purse and Cisse

Parlour crosses, Purse swings a foot at it - corner to Arsenal...

Henry is released by Keown's pass into the area. He tries to loft it over Vaesen, but sees it drift away for a goal-kick

Cisse swings in a shot which is comfortably charged down, and in the end the ball goes out for an Arsenal throw

More tip-tapping in their own half from the home side... they're coasting towards the break

The ball comes out to Tebilly, who hits it well from 25 yards. Seaman gathers safely

...and Lauren shows calmness to steer it away from danger and avoid conceding the corner as well

Purse starts a move from the back, but the cross is headed away. Grainger tries again...

Henry's challenged, but again Arsenal snap back with Cole. Wenger's side are tapping the ball around with nonchalance - until Cisse gets there

Arsenal have to make a change - Bergkamp, who has been on the end of a number of heavy challenges, is taken off to be replaced by new boy Gilberto

Birmingham, shell-shocked, try to buy themselves some time on the ball, but they can't do that. Arsenal are much too strong and much too quick

The champions are strolling it, in total control

Campbell gets a header in from the corner and it's hacked off the line - Keown's follow-up shot is blocked almost on the line...

Parlour gets in as Arsenal again rip the Birmingham defence to shreads - Vaesen saves well

The Highbury crowd finding their voices... Henry hits a shot from the edge of the box, but it's just over the top

The Blues can't get the ball at the moment - but then Cole can't keep it in as he looks to attack down the left

Parlour surges through, but his attempted pass forward is cut out at the last

Crisp passing led up to it, and Wiltord showed stunning skill at the finish. That could well be game over already

Wiltord runs at the backtracking defence and, from the edge of the box, curls a sublime shot wide of Vaesen. It's 2-0!

Johnson crosses from the right and Keown heads clear - better from Birmingham, but they're in danger on the break...

But he lashes wildly at it and the attempted shot sails high over the top

A defensive miscue from Ahsley Cole sees the ball dropping towards Stern John in the area...

Derision from the stands as Cisse tries a pass forward and skews it horribly out of play

Arsenal in their own half again... they haven't hit their stride yet, but haven't been troubled either

A fine run by Johnson starts a Birmingham move, but Parlour's superb block on Grainger stops it again

Seaman catches from a high cross with Horsfield lurking and hoping for a lucky break

But that was typical Arsenal - slick passing and sharp pace. Cisse tries to threaten at the other end, but all that brings is an Arsenal goal-kick

Bruce won't be feeling that good about the amount of space Arsenal found there

Lauren on the charge - Wiltord crosses, Henry flicks, Vaesen blocks. That'll make him feel a bit better

Horsfield holds the ball up on the right, but has nowhere to go with it and it runs out of play. The gulf in quality is starkly clear already

Birmingham happy to pick that off, but they then thump the ball straight out of play

Cole is clattered to the ground on the left, but Arsenal lose their way as Henry and Edu fail to link

Cisse cuts out a pass intended for Vieira, but Vieira snaps back to win it well

Arsenal haven't been in top gear yet, but that goal is the perfect boost for them

Birmingham boss Bruce looks distraught - this is the last thing he needed at Highbury

The Birmingham keeper will feel he should have done better: that was hardly one of Henry's more spectacular efforts

Henry takes the kick himself - it's not that well hit but Vaesen fumbles and the ball creeps into the corner of the net. It's 1-0 Arsenal!

He finds Henry, who is fouled by Johnson and wins a free-kick about 30 yards out...

Arsenal on the ball inside their own half now... Birmingham stretched to clear this one and Vieira is looking for options

They can't make that count, and here comes Wiltord. Cisse chests the cross away - there are appeals for handball, but the referee is unmoved

Horsfield shows good strength to shield the ball and win Birmingham a throw near the Gunners' penalty area

Wiltord shows some great skill to find Henry - but he's just offside

Now Parlour charges forward and Edu tries to find Cole. That's overhit, and nothing for Birmingham to worry about

The ball comes forward from Birmingham, but deflects harmlessly into space. Bergkamp looks for Henry... Tebilly is there

Grainger swings their first cross in, and Sol Campbell is perfectly placed to head powerfully clear

Predictably, it's a bright start for Arsenal while Birmingham are trying to find their feet

Parlour comes forward and hits a shot, but Cisse is there to block. Cunningham then foils Bergkamp

...but that comes to nothing and, in the end, the Blues have a free-kick of their own. Tebilly gets it all wrong

They come forward, but the ball is cut out and Vieira plays it forward... Tebilly fouls Henry on halfway and it's a free-kick

Birmingham kick off in this, the most daunting of first matches back in the big time for them

Keep it here for all the Sunday action as the champions entertain last season's Division One play-off winners. Kicking off at 16.05 BST

Birmingham again do well in defence as Wiltord and Parlour threaten - they've grown in confidence as this half has progressed

Horsfield is taken off and Aussie winger Stan Lazaridis is his replacement as Blues make another change

It falls to the unmarked Stern John, but he can't make proper contact with a fast-moving ball

Another Birmingham corner - Horsfield winning this one down the left...

Cisse makes a heavy challenge on Wiltord down the Arsenal left - and he joins Purse, whose name was taken in the first half, in the book

Henry zips through for Arsenal, but his attempted pass out wide is overhit and poses no trouble to the Birmingham defence

Arsenal break with Wiltord and Parlour: Purse, who has done well so far, gets there to clear the danger

Good spell this by Birmingham, and Arsenal have just taken their foot off the pedal a little bit

Good skill by Stern John, who fires in a shot which Seaman deals with

Soon afterwards, Cisse tries an effort from the edge of the box - it's way over the top and flies into the Clock End

His effort, though, is straight at the defensive wall and poses no threat

Gilberto fouls Carter on the edge of the area and pretty central... Grainger is having a look at this one...

The Gunners defender is back on his feet, and zips down the left to win a throw

Grainger gets a cross in and Stern John heads goalwards. Seaman is there, but Cole has been grounded by a challenge in the area

Vaesen will hit this one long downfield... Hughes does well, taking on Lauren and winning another corner

Birmingham making a change - Tebilly coming off and Darren Carter takes his place

It could so easily have been four or even five already

...Lauren crosses, Henry heads - but it's fractionally wide of the target

Henry is robbed by Tebilly, but back come Arsenal again with Vieira... now Edu...

Seconds later, another great break. Parlour again involved, but his final cross is just too long for the galloping Ashley Cole

Arsenal break with lightning pace - Parlour fires in a cross from the right, but Edu can only steer his header over the top

David Seaman takes command, grabbing the cross comfortably

The result of that is a corner - the first of the game for Bruce's side

Kenna tries a cross and it finds its way towards Horsfield

A rare aimless ball forward from Arsenal... Birmingham have the throw from that

Tebilly hoists a long ball forward - in the end, it's easy for Arsenal to defend

Horsfield is fouled near halfway - free-kick to the visitors

At the other end, Stern John twists and turns in the area but steers his final shot well wide of the far post

Arsenal have started the second period in the same way they ended the first - totally in command

The delivery is disappointing and easily cleared... Campbell finds Henry beautifully and Vaesen makes an excellent low save

...and Purse makes a superb interception to save the day. Corner...

Vieira cuts out the ball in midfield and finds Henry. He looks for Gilberto in the middle...

Great turn from the excellent Wiltord... Grainger, though, is there to cut out the danger

Birmingham hit it long, and it's easily cleared by Arsenal

He tries to steer it goalwards under pressure from Purse, and sees it bobble wide

We're under way in the second half, and straight away Wiltord runs through onto a bouncing ball...

Into added time, which there isn't much of. The half-time whistle goes with Arsenal 2-0 up and looking very, very comfortable

More encouraging - Johnson crosses from the right and there are one or two uncertain moments for Arsenal before it's cleared

Horsfield is fouled inside his own half - free-kick, which ends up all the way back with Vaesen

Wiltord crosses - or attempts to - and sees the ball trickle through to Vaesen. Not long left until the break now

Another Blues move breaks down and Wiltord looks to come forward... he wins a throw midway inside the Birmingham half

It's swung deep towards Keown, but Birmingham deal with that one well thanks to Purse and Cisse

Parlour crosses, Purse swings a foot at it - corner to Arsenal...

Henry is released by Keown's pass into the area. He tries to loft it over Vaesen, but sees it drift away for a goal-kick

Cisse swings in a shot which is comfortably charged down, and in the end the ball goes out for an Arsenal throw

More tip-tapping in their own half from the home side... they're coasting towards the break

The ball comes out to Tebilly, who hits it well from 25 yards. Seaman gathers safely

...and Lauren shows calmness to steer it away from danger and avoid conceding the corner as well

Purse starts a move from the back, but the cross is headed away. Grainger tries again...

Henry's challenged, but again Arsenal snap back with Cole. Wenger's side are tapping the ball around with nonchalance - until Cisse gets there

Arsenal have to make a change - Bergkamp, who has been on the end of a number of heavy challenges, is taken off to be replaced by new boy Gilberto

Birmingham, shell-shocked, try to buy themselves some time on the ball, but they can't do that. Arsenal are much too strong and much too quick

The champions are strolling it, in total control

Campbell gets a header in from the corner and it's hacked off the line - Keown's follow-up shot is blocked almost on the line...

Parlour gets in as Arsenal again rip the Birmingham defence to shreads - Vaesen saves well

The Highbury crowd finding their voices... Henry hits a shot from the edge of the box, but it's just over the top

The Blues can't get the ball at the moment - but then Cole can't keep it in as he looks to attack down the left

Parlour surges through, but his attempted pass forward is cut out at the last

Crisp passing led up to it, and Wiltord showed stunning skill at the finish. That could well be game over already

Wiltord runs at the backtracking defence and, from the edge of the box, curls a sublime shot wide of Vaesen. It's 2-0!

Johnson crosses from the right and Keown heads clear - better from Birmingham, but they're in danger on the break...

But he lashes wildly at it and the attempted shot sails high over the top

A defensive miscue from Ahsley Cole sees the ball dropping towards Stern John in the area...

Derision from the stands as Cisse tries a pass forward and skews it horribly out of play

Arsenal in their own half again... they haven't hit their stride yet, but haven't been troubled either

A fine run by Johnson starts a Birmingham move, but Parlour's superb block on Grainger stops it again

Seaman catches from a high cross with Horsfield lurking and hoping for a lucky break

But that was typical Arsenal - slick passing and sharp pace. Cisse tries to threaten at the other end, but all that brings is an Arsenal goal-kick

Bruce won't be feeling that good about the amount of space Arsenal found there

Lauren on the charge - Wiltord crosses, Henry flicks, Vaesen blocks. That'll make him feel a bit better

Horsfield holds the ball up on the right, but has nowhere to go with it and it runs out of play. The gulf in quality is starkly clear already

Birmingham happy to pick that off, but they then thump the ball straight out of play

Cole is clattered to the ground on the left, but Arsenal lose their way as Henry and Edu fail to link

Cisse cuts out a pass intended for Vieira, but Vieira snaps back to win it well

Arsenal haven't been in top gear yet, but that goal is the perfect boost for them

Birmingham boss Bruce looks distraught - this is the last thing he needed at Highbury

The Birmingham keeper will feel he should have done better: that was hardly one of Henry's more spectacular efforts

Henry takes the kick himself - it's not that well hit but Vaesen fumbles and the ball creeps into the corner of the net. It's 1-0 Arsenal!

He finds Henry, who is fouled by Johnson and wins a free-kick about 30 yards out...

Arsenal on the ball inside their own half now... Birmingham stretched to clear this one and Vieira is looking for options

They can't make that count, and here comes Wiltord. Cisse chests the cross away - there are appeals for handball, but the referee is unmoved

Horsfield shows good strength to shield the ball and win Birmingham a throw near the Gunners' penalty area

Wiltord shows some great skill to find Henry - but he's just offside

Now Parlour charges forward and Edu tries to find Cole. That's overhit, and nothing for Birmingham to worry about

The ball comes forward from Birmingham, but deflects harmlessly into space. Bergkamp looks for Henry... Tebilly is there

Grainger swings their first cross in, and Sol Campbell is perfectly placed to head powerfully clear

Predictably, it's a bright start for Arsenal while Birmingham are trying to find their feet

Parlour comes forward and hits a shot, but Cisse is there to block. Cunningham then foils Bergkamp

...but that comes to nothing and, in the end, the Blues have a free-kick of their own. Tebilly gets it all wrong

They come forward, but the ball is cut out and Vieira plays it forward... Tebilly fouls Henry on halfway and it's a free-kick

Birmingham kick off in this, the most daunting of first matches back in the big time for them

Keep it here for all the Sunday action as the champions entertain last season's Division One play-off winners. Kicking off at 16.05 BST