Premier League football resumed at the Emirates as Arsenal set out to extend their 16-match unbeaten run, with the visitors, Manchester City, the last team to have defeated them.

Three-and-a-half months since he injured his knee against Liverpool,  Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas was back, along with Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor, who had shaken off injuries of their own. But the Gunners were without Robin van Persie, Eduardo and Abou Diaby, all injured on international duty.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes made two changes, bringing in Craig Bellamy, who recovered sooner than expected from a knee injury picked up playing for Wales, and Wayne Bridge. Elano and Valeri Bojinov made way for the pair. Bellamy was starting up front alongside Robinho, who only returned from South America yesterday after playing for Brazil.

And it was Robinho and Bellamy who combined to set up the first effort on goal, the Brazilian slipping the Welshman through and Bellamy being forced wide before playing a square pass that Robinho allowed to run to Nigel de Jong, whose curling shot from the edge of the box was saved by the diving Manuel Almunia.

But Arsenal soon imposed themselves on the game and after eight minutes they were ahead when two of their returning stars combined to pierce City’s rearguard. A Fabregas free-kick from the right was perfectly flighted for Adebayor to rise, and, unmarked eight yards out, power a header into the corner of the net.

Hughes made an early change, sending on Gelson Fernandes for Bridge, but Arsenal were the dominant force, and Andrey Arshavin played an astute through ball to Walcott on the right but the flag went up for offside as Walcott chipped the ball over Given.

Then Kolo Toure cut in from the right wing and beat Pablo Zabaleta before forcing a fine smothering save from Given from close range with the City defence at sixes and sevens.

Arsenal were enjoying much the better of the possession, but City were threatening on the counter, and when they broke forward just before the half-hour, Shaun Wright-Phillips turned Gael Clichy to set up Micah Richards, whose low shot was saved by Almunia with his foot.

Fernandes was released by Wright-Phillips but blazed wide from six yards as Almunia rushed out to narrow the angle. Hughes sent on Elano for Vincent Kompany, before a Zabaleta run saw the ball find its way to Robinho who ballooned a shot way over.

Bellamy was thwarted by Almunia in a one-on-one, but Arsenal underlined their quality when Arshavin played a sublime one-two with Alexandre Song and forced Given into an excellent save.

City were probably happy to reach half-time only one goal down, as Given had made some crucial saves in a half the Gunners had largely controlled.

But early in the second-half the hosts doubled their lead with another Fabregas-Adebayor combination. The Catalan playmaker showed why he is so widely coveted when he produced a superb 30-yard lofted pass that took out Richard Dunne and put Adebayor clean through. The Togolese striker coolly rounded Given and rolled the ball into the net for his second of the game.

Almost immediately after the goal, Song nearly added a third with a header from a Fabregas corner that was just over the bar.

Then Fabregas got into the box unchecked and cut the ball back to Adebayor, whose first time shot was saved by Given.

Walcott flashed a couple of efforts wide, and at the other end Almunia saved a Zabaletta volley, before Denilson dispossessed Robinho and found Walcott, who skipped into the box and fired a shot on target which Dunne cleared off the line.

Walcott and Adebayor were then replaced by Emmanuel Eboue and Nicklas Bendtner, respectively, while Daniel Sturridge came on for Robinho and Aaron Ramsey took over from Fabregas, no doubt with Tuesday’s Villarreal clash in Arsene Wenger’s mind.

Ramsey shot wide, before the game ended with Elano bringing a comfortable save from Almunia. So Arsenal extend their unbeaten run and consolidate their grip on fourth place while City’s away-day woes continue.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Song Billong, Denilson, Walcott, Adebayor, Arshavin.
Subs: Fabianski, Ramsey, Silvestre, Djourou, Bendtner, Eboue, Gibbs.

Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Zabaleta, De Jong, Kompany, Robinho, Bellamy.
Subs: Hart, Bojinov, Elano, Garrido, Fernandes, Mwaruwari, Sturridge.