Vitoria Guimaraes v Arsenal preview: Why is the Europa League match being played on Wednesday and what are the best bets?

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When is Vitoria Guimaraes v Arsenal?

It takes place on Wednesday, November 6 at Guimaraes' Estadio D. Afonso Henriques Stadium and is due to kick-off at 1550 GMT.

How can I watch it?

It will be screened live on BT Sport 2.

Why is it being played at this time?

Europa League games generally take place at 1755 or 2000 (UK time) on Thursdays, but two teams from the same region cannot play their home games on the same date. Nearby Braga face Besiktas at home on November 7, so it had to be moved.

Broadcasting rules state that matches cannot clash with the Champions League, so through a combination of the above (fan congestion, safety, broadcasting) it has been moved to Wednesday afternoon.

Betting preview

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Best bet:

Opta stats

Vitória Guimarães have only won one of their eight previous meetings with English sides in all competitions (D3 L4), beating Aston Villa 1-0 in September 1983.
Arsenal have only won one of their seven away games against Portuguese sides (D3 L3), though it was their last such match at Sporting CP in last season’s Europa League.
Vitória Guimarães are looking to avoid four consecutive defeats in all European competition for the first time since September 1998.
Arsenal are looking to win their first four group stage games in a Europa League or Champions League campaign for just the second time, winning their first five in the 2005-06 Champions League.
Gabriel Martinelli has scored in both of his Europa League matches for Arsenal this season. The only player to score in each of his first three games in major European competition for the Gunners was Marouane Chamakh in 2010.

Odds correct as of 1500 GMT on 05/05/19

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