Arsenal vs BATE predictions and match preview

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Arsenal have it all to do against BATE, having suffered a humbling 1-0 loss to the Belarus side in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie.

In that game, Arsenal saw Alexandre Lacazette receive a straight red card for an elbow, and Unai Emery will be hoping his side can muster something better this time around.

The Gunners have lost three of their last six games, while BATE have lost just once in six

Read on for Arsenal vs BATE live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV info.

When is Arsenal vs BATE?

Competition: Europa League

Venue: Emirates Stadium

Date: Thursday, 21 February

Kick-off: 17:55 GMT

Match Preview 

Arsenal have been in mixed form of late, securing big wins not too long ago against the likes of Chelsea but also succumbing to BATE, Man City, Man Utd and West Ham.

Out of all of the cups, they are part of what looks to be a hotly-contested race for fourth-spot given that the Gunners are currently one point off fourth-placed Man Utd and level on points with Chelsea.

The Europa League may well prove to be the north Londoners’ most likely route into the Champions League and anything less than a convincing win here will mean serious questions must be asked of Emery.

BATE, meanwhile, won the 2018 Belarusian league by a margin of nine points and are yet to begin their next season, but knocking out the Gunners would rank as the biggest achievement in the minnows’ history.

Where can I watch live? 

Arsenal vs Bate is being shown live in the UK on BT Sport 2, channels 410 and BT Sport 2 HD, channel 432, respectively. The game can be found on Channel 528 for Virgin Media customers.

Are Arsenal better without Mesut Ozil?

Ozil’s spell out of the side has been well documented, as leaving your highest-paid player on the bench – or out the squad entirely – tends to get people talking.

A slender 1.5% difference in regards to win percentage when Ozil is in the team does not suggest his inclusion makes a significant difference but the situation is coming to a head and Emery’s stance on the German is rightly being called into question given that Arsenal have lacked creativity in recent weeks.

Ozil may not be seen as a solution to Arsenal’s problems in the biggest games but there is no-one else in Emery’s squad who is better at carving open a team set up to solely defend.

Is it time for Arsenal to put all their eggs in the Europa League basket?

The club’s quest for Champions League football will determine whether Arsenal’s season is seen as a success or not.

Emery’s men remain among the favourites to win the Europa League and we could soon see a shift in selection policy if Arsenal secure a place in the latter rounds.

The Gunners are currently one point outside of the top four and, given that competition in England’s top tier is so fierce, prioritising Thursday nights ahead of weekends may not be a bad route to go down if that gap widens.

However, it would not be without risks as the likes of Napoli, Sevilla and Inter Milan are all capable of beating Arsenal.

Will BATE show any ambition at the Emirates Stadium?

In a word, no.

BATE were installed as huge underdogs prior to the first leg and remain outsiders to progress, despite bringing a lead to north London.

The visitors will be desperate to hang on to what they have, so Arsenal can expect to encounter a team hell bent on keeping things as tight as possible.

Arsenal failed to get going on the choppy turf of the Borisov Arena, but things will surely be different on a carpet in N7.

However, if an early goal does not arrive and the Belarusian side get a sniff of the finish line then Arsenal will have to stay patient as they probe for an opening.

Head-to-head

Arsenal have won two of their three meetings with BATE, though BATE won the most recent meeting last week.

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Team News

Arsenal are without Lacazette following his straight red card for an elbow in the first leg.

Mesut Ozil, who has been out of favour for much of the season, has recovered from an illness and could be in line to feature for an Arsenal side slightly lacking in creativity of late.

Aaron Ramsey is unlikely to play due to an ongoing knee injury, while Hector Belierin, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are long-term absentees.

Sokratis missed the first leg through injury but has returned to training and could be available on Thursday.

BATE’s boss Alyaksey Baha is unlikely to make many changes, although Yevgeniy Berezkin could come in for former-Gunner Alexander Hleb in midfield.

Predicted Arsenal XI: ​Cech; Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Koscielny, Sokratis; Guendouzi, Ozil, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi; Aubameyang.

Predicted ​BATE XI: ​Scherbitsk; Rios, Volkov, Filipenko, Filipovic; Baga, Dragun, Berezkin; Milic, Skavysh, Stasevich.

Squawka Prediction

Despite the poor result last week, it remains unlikely Arsenal will actually bow out of the tournament at such an early stage.

For BATE, it is a question of fitness, as the Belarussian side – who are effectively in their off-season now – are expected to set up to simply defend.

We expect the Gunners to get over the line in comfortable fashion. Arsenal 3-0 BATE

Predictions & Betting Tips

Get the BetBull sign-up offer HERE – Ts&Cs apply. +18 only. BeGambleAware.org

1. Arsenal to win to nil @ 5/8

BATE may have managed to breach Arsenal’s leaky defence on home turf, but they are likely to show little to no ambition in north London.

It would be a big surprise to see the minnows get on the scoresheet.

Key Stat:Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in their last two Europa League home games.

Tip: Arsenal to win to nil @ 5/8 with BetBull – bet here

Odds correct at time of publishing (20/02/2019, 14:30)

18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score 2 or more @ 85/40

The Gabon international is set to lead the hosts’ line and his pace will give BATE a world of problems.

The visitors will sit in deep but Aubameyang’s speed of movement means he should be able to find plenty of gaps between even the most compact of defensive lines.

Key Stat: Aubameyang has scored two goals in just 225 minutes of Europe League football this season.

Tip: Aubameyang to score 2 or more @ 85/40 with BetBull – bet here

Odds correct at time of publishing (20/02/2019, 14:30)

18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org

3. Arsenal to score over 3.5 goals @ 7/4

Emery’s men, who remain among the favourites to win the competition, will be aiming to make a statement with a big victory.

If they score an early goal, it could prove be a very long night for the visitors.

Key Stat: Arsenal beat BATE 6-0 the last time they faced them at the Emirates Stadium.

Tip: Arsenal to score over 3.5 goals @ 7/4 with BetBull – bet here

Odds correct at time of publishing (20/02/2019, 14:30)

18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org

Search squawkagaming on BetBull to follow all our tips for Arsenal vs BATE and more.

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