Arsenal vs Birmingham City

That's the end of the game - life in the Premiership for Birmingham has begun with a 2-0 defeat as champions Arsenal get off to the expected start

Birmingham launch a late ball forward. Keown stops it and frees Parlour... Aliadiere is there but the defending is again superb

Into added time, and it's been a controlled victory for Arsenal

Mad scramble: it ends with Toure belting in a shot and Purse - who else - clearing off the line quite brilliantly

The flag-kick comes to nothing... the Birmingham fans are making the noise as we enter the last minute

Vaesen tips it round the post for a corner. A finishing flourish from the home side

Parlour charges forward and a neat move gives Vieira a shooting chance from the corner of the area...

Edu is off and Koulo Toure replaces him. Not long to go now, and Arsenal are in possession

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