BATE Borisov vs Arsenal - as it happened: Gunners see out erratic Europa League victory in Belarus
Re-live all the action from the Borisov Arena
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal head to Belarus for the second game of their Europa League campaign where they face BATE Borisov.
In attendance will be Aleksandr Hleb, the former Arsenal midfielder who spent four separate spells with the Belarusian champions, who has been pictured exchanging niceties with Arsene Wenger this week.
Those who won’t be there include Laurent Koscielny, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette who are among a host of senior players to be left at home for this long trip east.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the game…
What time does it start?
The game kicks off at 6pm (BST) at the Borisov Arena on Thursday 28 September.
Where can I watch it?
BT Sport 2 will be broadcasting the game. Alternatively, return to this page for updates from our live blog.
It's a big game for...
Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Arsene Wenger was glowing in his praise of the young midfielder ahead of this game, hinting that he will be given a place in the starting line-up for a second Europa League game running. “He has great quality, he can steal the ball without making fouls,” the Frenchman said. “I’m convinced he is ready to play. He has to improve a little bit on the concentration front because the demands of top level football don’t tolerate some lapses of concentration.” Can he impress his boss even more tonight?
Player to watch…
Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman has never fully convinced as a top quality forward since joining Arsenal in 2012. Now his position has been fully usurped by compatriot Alexandre Lacazette who already looks like a crowd favourite at the Emirates. But Giroud can still provide a top quality second option for the Gunners – and he has scored 99 goals for the club in his time there. A man with a point to prove, with a huge milestone in his sights against weak opposition… expect Giroud to be at the top of his game…
Form…
BATE Borisov: WWDWW
Arsenal: WWDWW
Odds…
BATE Borisov: 5/1
Draw: 16/5
Arsenal: 4/7
Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of this evening's Europa League clash between BATE Borisov and Arsenal.
We'll be bringing you live updates, reaction and analysis from the game so make sure to stay tuned!
Team news expected at 6.00pm
As expected, Arsene Wenger has turned to his young guns with the likes of Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles being handed starts in tonight's match.
Speaking of Maitland-Niles ahead of the clash, Wenger insisted the 20-year-old is ready to play but warned him that he must improve on his concentration levels: "His best position is defensive midfield. He has exceptional pace, a capacity to steal the ball from people, and I am convinced that he is ready to play.
"He has to improve a little bit on the concentration front, the demands of top-level football don't tolerate some lapses of concentration, but all the rest is there."
No news yet on BATE Borisov's starting line-up. While we wait for that, here's some riveting stats to get stuck into:
- This is the first time Arsenal travel to the Borisov Arena in any competition
- The hosts are looking to maintain a seven-game unbeaten home run
- The last visiting side to beat BATE in a Uefa game on Belarusian soil were Barcelona, 2-0 in the 2015-16 Uefa Champions League group stage
- Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Cologne two weeks ago was their first European win of 2017
I did say they were riveting...
Not exactly European in outlook, but this piece from chief football writer Miguel Delaney takes a closer look at Arsenal's 2-0 win over West Brom and the deeper general themes at play in the side:
Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the team news you've all been waiting for: the BATE Borisov starting line-up...
Starting XI: Scherbitski, Rios, Gayduchik, Milunovic, Polyakov, Volodko, Dragun, Gordeychuk, Ivanic, Stasevich, Rodionov.
Another reminder of just how young this Arsenal starting XI is...
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