On-loan Arsenal defender Auston Trusty scored his first goals in English football as dominant Birmingham brushed aside Bristol City 3-0 at St Andrew’s.

The 24-year-old American scored at the start and end of the first half before on-loan Wolves defender Dion Sanderson added a late third.

Birmingham ended their three-match wait for a victory in emphatic style and extended Bristol City’s winless run to five games.

Nigel Pearson’s side failed to produce an effort on target as they suffered their heaviest defeat since losing 6-2 at Fulham on January 15 – and only several excellent saves from goalkeeper Daniel Bentley prevented an even bigger defeat.

All the pre-match talk surrounding Birmingham had been about Harlee Dean playing his first game for the club for 320 days after a loan to Sheffield Wednesday and a calf injury.

But instead it was another central defender who made the headlines.

Trusty rose highest to Tahith Chong’s corner and Mark Sykes on the line failed to keep his towering header out.

Blues continued to threaten and had two one-on-one chances before the midway point of the first half, with visiting goalkeeper Bentley twice coming to his side’s rescue.

First, Scott Hogan put Chong clean through but the former Manchester United youngster tried to dummy the goalkeeper, who was unmoved and managed to smother.

Hogan was next to find himself bearing down on goal after Bentley’s long kick had been headed back towards the visiting goal.

But instead of shooting with his left foot, he delayed and tried to turn onto his favoured right foot and Bentley pounced to gather.

However, John Eustace’s side deservedly doubled their lead two minutes before half-time.

Trusty stabbed home on the line after his header from Hannibal Mejbri’s deep free-kick had bounced off the post.

Unsurprisingly, Bristol City made a triple substitution at half-time, as Chris Martin, Antoine Semenyo and George Tanner replaced Nahki Wells, Tommy Conway and Sykes.

But it was the home side who continued to make the running.

Krystian Bielik flashed a full-blooded volley inches wide from the edge of the box from Chong’s corner.

Maxime Colin was denied Birmingham’s third goal when his close-range snapshot was blocked by Bentley.

But Sanderson made it 3-0 in the 76th minute, bundling home another Chong corner from a yard out for the 22-year-old’s first goal for the club.

Bentley kept out substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz’s header from point-blank range from Troy Deeney’s cross as Birmingham pressed for a fourth goal.

The hosts did manage to get the ball in the net again, only to be denied for a foul to be given on Bentley.