New Blues President Carson Yeung was in the stands at the Emirates Stadium to watch his new club in action and despite the result must have been heartened by the application of Alex McLeish's men.

The Gunners dominated early proceedings and Robin Van Persie and Abou Diaby goals in the space of just over a minute made the challenge even tougher for the visitors but they were by no means in a mood to give up.

Blues kept plugging away and deservedly got on the scoresheet through Lee Bowyer seven minutes before the break.

It was the catalyst for much better things from the travelling side and in the second half Blues were much better, on the front foot at every opportunity and causing Arsenal plenty more problems than early on.

However, try as they might they couldn't further break down a stubborn Gunners' rearguard and Andrey Arshavin's goal on the break with six minutes of the game left concluded matters.

Striker Cameron Jerome came back into first team action at the Emirates - the first game at the helm for Birmingham City's new Board of Directors.

The frontman's ankle injury had healed and he played for the first time since the Portsmouth game at St. Andrew's in August.

The home side were presented with an excellent opportunity after just five minutes when Roger Johnson's header to the edge of the penalty area was snaffled up by Tomas Rosicky, however the Arsenal man's first team shot flew well wide.

With nine minutes gone Abou Diaby's ball from the left to the back post threatened to cause chaos. The cross evaded everyone and found Van Persie but instead of going for goal he opted to pass back to the advancing Rosicky and his scuffed effort was blocked by Johnson.

Theo Walcott then burst down the right and charged towards the penalty area before attempting an optimistic chipped shot from just outside the box that Joe Hart was forced to palm over.

On 16 Arsenal took the lead. Barry Ferguson cleared the ball through centrefield but only as far as Alex Song who took control and fed Van Persie inside the Blues box. He took a touch before turning and firing an unstoppable low shot past Hart's outstretched left arm with an angled drive from 16 yards.

Just over a minute later things got even worse as the Gunners broke down the right. Emmanuel Eboue found himself in acres of space and played in Rosicky who sent over a low cross, across the face of the six yard box. The pass evaded all of the defenders and found Abou Diaby at the back post and he gleefully hammered the ball back across Hart and into the top corner.

On 29 James McFadden was tripped by Gallas in a central position some 25 yards outside the box and Blues were presented with an excellent setpiece opportunity. Seb Larsson stepped up and curled a right-footed effort over the wall and towards the near post but Mannone scrambled to his left to push the ball away.

At the other end McFadden produced a perfectly timed tackle to stop Eboue in his tracks. The home crowd screamed for a penalty but the Scot's challenge was spot on.

With 33 gone Walcott gingerly left the field of play and was replaced by Andrey Arshavin. Lee Bowyer was then talked to by referee Lee Probert for a foul on the Arsenal sub.

McFadden and Jerome began to link up better and Blues started to make inroads. And then, on 38, came the break the visitors needed. Ridgewell and Jerome exchanged passes down the left and when McFadden's cross was flicked up in the air by Diaby keeper Mannone flapped and could only punch the ball to the waiting Bowyer, who smashed it home on the half volley from eight yards for his third goal of the season.

On 41 Hart got down to quick to his right to prevent an Arshavin piledriver flying in at his near post and Blues were relieved to clear the danger as Arsenal looked to restore a two-goal lead. Lee Carsley then blocked an Arshavin cross as the home side came forward again.

Blues came out of the blocks well in the second half and mounted an attack that almost resulted in a goal within a minute of the re-start but, after a series of intricate passes, Larsson's chip sailed a few yards over the bar.

With 51 played Diaby rolled a pass with the inside of his right boot into the area and after Johnson had slipped Arshavin was left with a sitter but he skewed a shot wide of the far post from just six yards.

Hart then recovered after his initial clearance had been latched onto by Fabregas to push the Spaniard into a wide position and deny him a goalscoring opportunity.

Johnson flung himself towards the ball to block a Rosicky 18-yarded and skipper Fabregas curled a speculative effort well over the target as the Gunners pushed on.

On 56 Larsson slid in inside the area and got a touch on the ball to prevent the hosts and Hart naturally picked up the ball six yards out. But referee Probert somehow adjudged it to be a backpass.

As Arsenal lined up the free-kick Joe Hart was booked for an infringement and then Arshavin rolled the ball into the path of Van Persie who crashed the setpiece against the bar.

On the hour mark Garry O'Connor came on for Jerome and, on 63, Ridgewell saw yellow for delaying in giving the Gunners the ball back as they prepared to take a free-kick.

With 20 minutes left Gary McSheffrey came on for McFadden before Wenger made a change too, replacing Rosicky with Bacary Sagna.

Almost immediately McSheffrey was on the charge towards the halfway line, down the right, and was up-ended by Song - the Arsenal man going into the referee's notebook for the challenge.

On 77 Fabregas was felled by Larsson just outside the area, on the right, and Van Persie whipped in a fierce free-kick that flew just two yards past Hart's back post.

A minute later Alex McLeish made his final change, and a really attack-minded one at that bringing on striker Kevin Phillips for holding midfielder Carsley.

And the move almost had immediate impact as Blues grew in confidence. Ridgewell's cross from the left was very nearly turned in for the equaliser by McSheffrey but a galloping Mannone charged off his line and just got to the ball first.

The visitors were having a really good go at it against one of the best teams around and with Bowyer pulling the strings in midfield were pressing forward. Phillips challenged Gallas for a ball on 83 and forced the Frenchman into conceding a corner and then McSheffrey slung in a cross that Mannone came out to claim.

But the hard work and determination was to turn to heartbreak as Arsenal counter-attacked and grabbed a third goal on 84. Fabregas led the charge and rolled a ball into the path of Arshavin down the left. The Ukrainian took a couple of touches to take him towards the Blues' box before curling a low right-footed effort beyond Hart's left and into the bottom corner. There was nothing the unsighted keeper could do about it.

Hart produced an excellent save to deny Diaby low to his left before Jack Wilshere came on for Eboue with only four minutes of injury time to be played.

Dann deflected a Van Persie shot over the bar in added time as Blues continued to show plenty of grit and determination but the final whistle signalled a 3-1 home win.

Referee: Lee Probert

Attendance: 60,082